If It Makes You Happy

by Julie Olivia

“I think I might be pregnant.”

Wtf?

That’s the weirdest thing of all. Tracy doesn’t like Cliff, but she doesn’t like me with him either.

I wish I could pause this moment. Maybe keep it on my shelf like a beautiful snow globe I can shake whenever I like. But that isn’t how life works.

“It’s kouign-amann.”

He found it

“God, I love you,” he says, shaking his head. “I love that you roll your eyes when I make stupid jokes. I love that you argue with your dog when you think nobody’s watching. I love that you have coffee at night and that you don’t dress up for Halloween. And I love how great you are with my girls. I told myself I would never ask someone to stay with me again. But I love you. And that’s gotta mean something, right?” His eyes dart between mine, and he echoes on another breath, “That’s gotta mean something.”

“I don’t want to go,” I repeat, a slow smile spreading over my face. “I love you.” “You love me?” And there’s relief, sadness, then disbelief. I smile even wider. “I love you, Cliff.”