Jess backed into a shelf of formula canisters, clutching her rounded belly, her breathing shallow and quick. “This isn’t happening. I’m not… this isn’t who I am…”
Geoff calmly stepped forward, still holding Macy securely against his chest as the toddler rested her head on his shoulder, pacifier now in her mouth.
“Jess…” he said softly, as if handling something delicate, “take a breath, alright?”
She shook her head. “No! Stop calling me that like I belong in this—this fantasy! I’m not your wife—I’m not Macy’s mom!”
Geoff didn’t react harshly. Instead, he sighed in a practiced, patient way, the kind of sigh that came from years of understanding someone deeply, flaws and all.
“We’ve been through this before, remember?” he said gently, stepping closer. “When you were pregnant with Macy, you had the same doubts. The same kind of panic. You were afraid of being a mother—of losing yourself.”
Jess froze. “That’s not—”
He held her gaze, not breaking stride. “And I told you then what I’m telling you now: you’re not alone. You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be here. For her. For me. For yourself.”
Jess's hands trembled. “I don’t remember any of this…”
“That’s okay,” Geoff replied, brushing a stray hair from her face. “Memories come and go. What matters is who you are now. And I know you. You’re Jess Johnson. You love warm baths at night and honey in your tea. You tuck Macy in with a different silly voice every night, even when you’re exhausted. You bite your lip when you’re stressed. And you always—always—put everyone else before yourself.”
Tears welled up in Jess’s eyes. Some part of her wanted to believe it—wanted the calm, the purpose, the simple identity.
But another part screamed that it was all wrong.
“I… I’m not supposed to be this,” she whispered.
Geoff pulled her into a hug, careful not to squish Macy between them. “You’re overwhelmed. That’s okay. You always try to carry too much. Let me help.”
Jess didn’t hug back. But she didn’t pull away either.
She just stood there, caught between the warmth of Geoff’s arms and the screaming uncertainty inside her mind.
From across the food court, Ryan nudged Billy. “See? It’s like he’s real. That’s how deep this rewrite goes. She’ll break soon.”
Billy looked less amused now. “I dunno, man. It’s getting… intense.”
Back in Geoff’s embrace, Jess felt her knees give just slightly—not from weakness, but from how heavy it all was.
Geoff whispered, “Let’s go home. I’ll take care of things. You just focus on feeling better, alright?”
Jess didn’t answer.
But she didn’t say no, either.