THE PACT

But you said... Thomas saw the start of a comment from Rosa and stopped her dead mid-sentence, as he knew where she was headed. He stood up from the sofa in Rosa's apartment, and emphatically said: "No, no, no!" Rosa was taken aback and recoiled back away from Thomas on the couch. "What is it? she replied.

The two had been talking about the state of their relations. Seeing each other for over a year and a half of courtship, Rosa questioned if getting married was in the cards. She wasn't getting any younger, and she did want to have kids as her biological clock was clicking so loud it was a surprise Thomas didn't hear it. Rosa was of that age where a woman has sites on having children needing to negotiate her life in such a way so as not to spend her childbearing years with an incompatible mate.

Thomas, in her view, would be a satisfying donor if not a good father if he chose to stay with her. He came from a family line of healthy males with no significant health issues. He was employed and even showed bursts of ambition for certain things. All of this made Thomas an excellent candidate to have a child with.

The most pivotal talk the two had had on the state of their relationship happened on one of their dates that ended up at a soft service ice cream parlor. The day had gone well except Thomas was on edge as for a trait that Thomas saw in Rosa that annoyed him, which was Rosa's complaining about the food or the service or both. That day it was both. So as they left the restaurant to get some air and talk, making their way to the ice cream parlor the topic arose and continued on.

Thomas was honest maybe even more realistic this time than ever before. He shared that it was too early for marriage. And since they had been having unprotected sex since the first day they met having a child could be upon them sooner than expected, it made sense. Rosa knew Thomas enjoyed sex with her knowing she at times could be insatiable, and he liked that, but sex for pleasure and sex to procreate seemed like two separate things.

Upon arriving at the parlor the same night, the talk became even more honest and lead to a pact that maybe was a little misleading, but seemed to come from the right place in their relationship. The agreement was this, they'd put all talk about marriage and kids off for a year, and if they were still together, happily and even more in love, then they should make those next steps reality. The pact seemed a little hollow and definitely not spontaneous, but with the talk over Hawaiian chocolate toffee soft serve for Thomas and strawberry for Rosa, their resolution felt final.

Now a year later, the time had passed quickly, and the two were still living separately engaged in what appeared to be one long relationship. Thomas was promoted and making more money, and it seemed the stars were aligning to their pact. Yet something was up, and as they made out on Rosa's sofa, they paused their action to address the anniversary of their agreement. Rosa then spoke to Thomas without much of ease in blurting out that she was pregnant, gaining an astounding look upon Thomas's face.