At the End of the Sunset Breeze, You Have Freedom

On my way to my in-laws', I picked up a rideshare fare, and the address turned out to be in the same building as my mother-in-law's.

The passenger was a bright, cheerful girl who kept stroking my expensive car and gushing over it.

You drive something this pricey and still do rideshare? Renting a car like this must cost a fortune. Can you even break even?

Driving was just a hobby of mine. I smiled and said nothing.

For this trip back to my in-laws' I had over six hundred miles to cover on my own, so I picked up a fare to have some company along the way and pass the time.

The girl chatted with me the whole drive, until her boyfriend called, his voice full of concern.

"I told you I'd come get you, but you insisted on coming by yourself. It's such a hassle for you."

The girl stuck out her tongue. "It's fine. I ran into a driver who was headed the same way. Honestly, her husband won't even come pick her up over a distance like this. What a heartless man."

The man's soft laugh was familiar.

"Then he doesn't love her. If you really love someone, how could you let her drive all that way alone?"

"Send me the plate number, and don't hang up while you're on the road. I worry about you."

I slammed on the brakes.

The voice on the other end of that call was one I could never mistake. It was my husband's voice.

The girl jumped and let out a startled little scream.

Miles Sanchez immediately asked, anxious, "Ollie, what's wrong? Was there an accident?"

The girl turned the video toward the window so he could see outside, and only then did Miles let out a breath.

"It's nothing, the driver just isn't very good. I told you not to ride with women drivers, but you wouldn't listen. Where are you? Should I come get you?"

The girl patted her chest and said with a playful grin, "No need. Just stay home with your aunt and uncle. You've done enough. Don't bother running around."

"Besides, I only took a woman driver so my little jealous baby wouldn't get jealous. Otherwise you'd end up like last time, chasing down some male driver to pick a fight with him"

I didn't hear the rest.

Because following the angle of the girl's video, I saw Miles Sanchez's face, clear as anything.

He was still wearing the clothes I'd bought him, lying on the bed back at his family home.

I remembered that bed. I'd slept on it during our wedding, when my mother-in-law made a point of tormenting me by pulling out the mattress pad, so the frame dug hard into my back.

After I got home, it took a week of chiropractic work, acupuncture, and physical therapy before it eased up.

The girl's boyfriend was the man I'd just married.

On her end, she hung up and looked at me with nothing but kindness.

"Are you okay?"

I wiped a hand across my face, no longer able to tell whether it was the sweat that had beaded on my forehead or the tears.

I turned the air conditioning down two degrees and started the car again.

"I'm fine. I think it was a little morning sickness just now. It's passed."

The girl's face lit up. "You're pregnant! Congratulations!"

I twitched the corner of my mouth. The thank-you wouldn't come.

After all, for the woman I was right now, there was nothing worth congratulating.

The girl pulled out her phone to swap numbers with me.

"Give me your number. My name's Olympia Galloway. Don't worry, if the platform comes after you, just send them to me. I won't let them dock your pay!"

"A pregnant woman having to go out and earn a living is hard enough, and your husband treats you like this? He's really no kind of man!"

I let out a cold laugh and echoed her without thinking.

"Yeah. No kind of man at all."

Olympia looked at me apologetically.

"Sorry, I don't have a license, so I can't help you. How can you drive while you're pregnant? Maybe you should just call your husband and have him come get you."

"You're already off the highway anyway. It's only the last sixty miles or so."

I clenched my palm and, as if pulled by some unseen hand, sent Miles a message.

"Honey, I'm not feeling well. Come pick me up."

The reply came fast. "Nessa, don't you always love driving? I couldn't bring myself to take away one of your few hobbies!"

"Besides, my wife's the best driver there is. I wouldn't dare show off in front of an expert."

Cheerful tone, capped with a smirking little sticker.

But I couldn't get a single smile out.

Five minutes ago, in another woman's phone, he'd been saying women drivers were useless.

I pushed, which I rarely did.

"But I'm not feeling well."

Miles wrote back without a second's pause.

"Then that's perfect, rest up for a few extra days. Something's come up with my parents too, so I need to see to them first."

"It's fine if you don't come, I'll just let them know."

I looked at the pricey fruit and specialty gifts on the back seat and took a slow breath.

"But isn't tomorrow your mom's birthday? I'm her daughter-in-law, the least I can do is show some respect. And it's a chance to let her see her grandch"

Miles cut me off, doting, not even thinking it through.

"Come on, my parents get shy around new people. We've always just celebrated as a family. There's really no need for you to rush all the way over."

"I feel for you, Nessa."

I stared at the screen, and then, as if something moved my hand for me, I asked Olympia.

"Ollie, remind me, what were you headed to Bristol Gardens for again?"

Olympia was touching up her makeup. She answered with a smile.

"Oh, it's my boyfriend's mom's birthday. She absolutely insisted I come!"

"Honestly, I didn't even want to go, but my future mother-in-law says she has some family heirloom jade bracelet to give me, so I had no choice but to make the trip out."

The hand gripping my phone had gone a little white. I kept my eyes locked on the chat with Miles.

Five years together, right up until we married because I was pregnant, and to this day I was still an outsider in my husband's mouth.

And this Olympia, whoever she was, got to celebrate a birthday with his whole family, got the heirloom jade bracelet from my mother-in-law.

All at once it struck me as funny.

I ground my teeth and typed out the last few words.

"Miles, I'm pregnant."

"Either you come back and stay with me, or you come get me and take me to your mom's."

"Are you really going to leave me here on my own? I'm carrying your child!"

Miles seemed busy on his end. It was a while before he sent back a careless reply.

"You're healthy enough to go hiking up mountains, what could possibly be wrong with you?"

"Stop making a scene, Nessa, I'm swamped."

"If you've got that much time on your hands, go drive some rideshare fares and help with the bills, instead of always picking fights with me and wasting my time."

I breathed in deep, again and again, until the sick feeling in my stomach faded, and then I typed two clean words.

"Divorce."

Nothing came back.

I looked over at Olympia, playing on her phone in the passenger seat.

"Sorry, something came up, I'm not going to Bristol Gardens. You'll have to grab a cab yourse"

Before I could finish, Olympia let out a delighted squeal, clutching her phone.

"Nessa, my boyfriend actually came to pick me up!"

I looked up, startled, and saw Miles hurrying across the road toward us.

Olympia was glowing with happiness.

"I told him not to come, I didn't want him going to the trouble, but he insisted. He's so clingy."

"What am I supposed to do with him."

"Nessa, thanks so much for the whole ride. I'm getting out now! Stay safe out there!"

With that, she bounced out of the car and ran straight into Miles's arms.

My hand jerked, and I hurried to yank down the rearview mirror in front of me.

At that same moment Miles's eyes turned this way.

I heard him say, disgusted,

"Ollie, from now on you're not to take some random car like this. And definitely not a woman driver, her skills are that bad. If she wants to get herself killed in a crash that's her business, but what if she'd hurt you? Think how it would break my heart!"

"And a car like that, driven by a pregnant woman, no less, she's obviously some rich man's kept mistress. Stay away from a woman like that."

All at once I went calm.

That's right. I bought this luxury car without ever telling Miles.

The windows were all privacy glass. He couldn't see me.

So of course he had no idea this was my car.

I had a wealthy family. I'd just never gotten around to telling Miles.

I'd wanted this car for the longest time, and I used to pester Miles about buying it. He always said he'd get it for me one day, once he had the money.

But every last dollar he earned went straight back to his parents.

I knew there was no point waiting on him, so I went and bought the car myself while he was away.

I'd planned to drive over and surprise him, and to give his parents something to be proud of, too.

Now there was no point.

Miles flagged down a taxi, tucked Olympia in beside him, and left.

I started the car and followed at an easy pace.

Just moments earlier, I had booked the abortion at the city hospital.

It happened to be along the same route.

A few hours later, worn out, I pulled up at some random restaurant to get out and eat.

But before long, a familiar voice drifted in from the private room next door.

Ollie, coming all this way must have worn you out! Tonight's just for you, a proper welcome. Dinner's on us!

That you'd even look twice at our Miles, well, that's his good fortune!

That was my mother-in-law's voice.

My father-in-law chimed in right after.

That's right. I hear Ollie's father is in business, so you must come from a very comfortable home! We're just a two-income household. It really is a comedown for you, Ollie.

Olympia's voice was as sunny as ever.

Oh, we don't care about money at all. It's exactly because my parents have plenty that they encouraged me to be brave and chase love. As long as Miles and I have each other, nothing else matters.

A sour ache crept up through my teeth, and I found myself thinking back to those early days after Miles and I married.

My mother-in-law had looked down on my country roots and dug in her heels, refusing to give any bride price at all. In the end I said I'd take only eighty-eight hundred, and she still wept and carried on as if I'd robbed the family.

After the wedding, the moment she learned I was going back to see my own parents, she'd call Miles specifically to make him check whether I was sneaking money home to help them out.

But what they didn't know was that although my parents had come from the countryside, they'd gone out early to start their own company.

Not only did I never need to help my family out, my parents felt I'd married down and suffered for it, so every few days they'd send some money over.

My phone rang, jarring in the quiet, and it turned out to be my mother.

I answered, and her gentle voice came through.

Nessa, are you at Miles's parents' place yet? Not too tired out? Are they treating you badly?

My nose stung, and I fought to keep my voice steady.

No, Mom.

Good girl. You're pregnant now, don't go making things hard on yourself. If there's anything you want, you tell your dad and me.

My father leaned in too.

Nessa, the reason we didn't let you tell them what we're worth was that we were afraid they'd have their eyes on our assets.

But you and Miles have been together all these years now, you got married just like you wanted, and soon you'll have a baby of your own. Looks like the two of you passed our test.

So we've decided to take your in-laws out to dinner in the next day or two, and let them in on our situation while we're at it. That way things will go a lot easier for you two from here on.

The tears came before I could stop them, and I turned it down softly.

There's no need, Mom, Dad. Don't let them find out.

My father tried to comfort me. As long as you understand where we were coming from, that's enough. It's your birthday today, so don't go being hard on yourself, have Miles order you a cake!

Only then did I remember. Today was my birthday.

My head had been so full of finding a birthday gift for my mother-in-law that I'd almost forgotten to give myself a proper thirtieth birthday.

I opened the delivery app and ordered the most expensive cake on it, with a note to bring it to my private room.

Then I added a few seafood dishes I usually never let myself order.

From now on, I was only going to be good to myself. No more making myself small.

Next door, the conversation went on, and it seemed to have turned to me.

"...Oh, if only you'd met our Miles sooner, Ollie, we never would've gotten stuck with someone like"

"A country girl, and an out-of-towner at that. You can tell at a glance her family has no money. She just wanted our city residency"

"If she can't produce a son, we'll ship her back to the countryside to farm!"

"Ollie, your family's got money, and our Miles has all those degrees. Now that's a real match!"

Through all of it, Miles didn't say a word to argue.

And not a single message came from him either.

I listened calmly to them tearing me apart, ate one bite after another, and for the first time felt what a pleasure eating could be.

To think how Miles once said takeout was unhealthy, so I'd stumbled through learning to cook, delighted to make his meals, scalding a whole hand in the process. It seemed laughable now.

I wondered, now that he and a little princess like Olympia were living together, which of them took care of the other.

I was nearly done eating, and my cake still hadn't been brought out.

I asked the server, and it turned out they'd mixed up the room number and already delivered the cake next door.

"I'm so sorry, ma'am. The cake just went in, they probably haven't touched it yet. I'll go get it back for you."

I wiped my mouth and stood.

"No need. I'll go get it myself."

When I reached the door of their room, the server was wheeling the cake in, and Miles said, delighted, "Ollie, I can't believe how thoughtful you are. You even got a cake for Mom."

My mother-in-law was beaming too.

"What a sweet girl. Thank you, dear! Looks like the family heirloom just has to go to you now!"

Olympia froze for only a second before she jumped up and cooed, "Auntie, it's my first time here, so I didn't prepare anything expensive. I just thought I'd throw you an early birthday. I hope you won't mind."

With that, she deftly unboxed the cake and set it in front of my mother-in-law, then crouched at her side, all sweet talk, urging her to sing the birthday song.

My mother-in-law's eyes went wide with surprise. "Ollie, isn't this from the most expensive cake shop in the city? One of these has to run a thousand or two! Ollie, you shouldn't have spent so much!"

Olympia laughed. "Nothing's too expensive if it's for you, Auntie! As Miles's mother, you deserve a cake this fine!"

Miles said tenderly, "Ollie, meeting you is the luckiest thing that's ever happened to me."

The lights in the room went out, a party hat was set on my mother-in-law's head, and the birthday song started up.

Just as she pursed her lips to blow out the candles, I shoved the door open and flipped the lights straight back on.

Miles stared at me, disbelieving, and cried out.

"Nessa? What are you doing here?"