Time loop.
I woke up in the inferno, flames licking at my
face. Mark, my husband, stood frozen for a
second, then bolted towards Emily, his high
school sweetheart, who had fallen. He didn’t
even glance at me, his pregnant wife.
He came back for me, but it was too late.
Emily was gone.
He blamed me, said I’d faked weakness,
clinging to him, costing precious seconds. He
wouldn’t even let our daughter call him “Dad.”
Six years later, when time travel became a
reality, he jumped at the chance, obsessed
with going back.
“Sarah, if you hadn’t used the baby to guilt
- me. I would’ve saved Emily first.”
Even Lily, our daughter, turned on me.
“If you hadn’t killed Aunt Emily, Dad wouldn’t
hate me!”
Facing their scorn, I decided to go back too.
This time, I’d save myself. I owed Mark
nothing.
The time machine’s nausea faded, replaced
by scorching heat. I opened my eyes to see
Mark, jaw tight, standing over me.
He looked at me, then ran to Emily, who’d
fallen.
Flames roared around me. I scrambled
towards the exit.
Just as I was about to escape Mark carrying
Emily, rushed past. Emily, panicked, shoved
me back.
I fell, a collapsing cabinet pinning me. Pain
seared through me, but I pushed the debris
away, crawling towards freedom.
Gasping for air in the safe zone, I watched
Mark, holding Emily, walk towards me, his
eyes.cold.
“Sarah, you could’ve gotten out yourself? You
waited, hoping I’d rescue you, so I wouldn’t
have time to save Emily.”
His coldness extinguished the heat of the fire.
He didn’t know I’d also traveled back.
“Planning on running to Mom and Dad again?
Fine, but leave Emily out of it, or forget about
our marriage!”
I touched my stomach, speaking calmly,
“Mark, let’s get a divorce.”
He froze, staring, then scoffed, “I don’t have
time for your games.”
“I’m serious. Let’s divorce.”
Mark’s biggest regrets were not saving Emily
and marrying me. I’d fix both.
He glared, voice hardening.
“I know your game. You’re using this divorce
threat to make Mom and Dad hate Emily even
more because I saved her first.”
“Marriage isn’t a joke, Sarah. Stop with the
drama. Let’s go, I’ll take you to the hospital.”
He reached for me, warning me to stop.
My stomach cramped. As I reached up, Emily
grabbed Mark’s hand.
“Mark, Coco isn’t doing well. I think he
inhaled too much smoke. Can we take him to
the vet?”
Seeing her tears, Mark instantly agreed. Then
he remembered me.
Emily followed his gaze, pleading, “Sarah,
you’re not badly hurt, can you wait? Coco
means the world to me.”
Coco was Mark’s gift to Emily, a parrot.
<
“I’ll call an ambulance. After Coco’s okay, I’ll
meet you at the hospital.”
I nodded, “Go.”
He looked surprised, but seeing Emily’s
distress, he drove off.
I lifted my coat, revealing blood–soaked
fabric.
The ambulance finally arrived. At the hospital,
the doctor examined me, his face grim.
“Mrs. Miller, I’m sorry, it’s too late. You’ve lost
the baby.”
My last pregnancy hadn’t ended this way
because Mark had rescued me first. Lily had
distent father Shold ooked
grown up with a distant father. She’d asked
why other kids got gifts from their dads, while
Mark never even bought her a toy.
I’d overheard him tell her, “Don’t call me Dad.
I won’t acknowledge you. I’ll compensate you
in other ways.”
He’d shown her a cherished feather. “If
everyone hadn’t been rushing your mom to
the hospital the day you were born, Coco
wouldn’t have gotten lost. Emily must hate
- me. I failed to save her, and now Coco too.”
“If I had another chance, I’d save her and
Coco, even if it meant losing my own child.”
Tears welled. I hadn’t planned on keeping this
baby. I accepted the loss calmly.
Г
My friend brought the divorce papers. Mark
arrived, holding toys.
“Saw these, thought they were cute. Early
gifts for the baby.”
He arranged them, smiling.
“Did you find Coco?”
He nodded.
