i hadn't felt like myself since i got out of the hospital. i had been working up the courage to talk to gus but every day he'd come i'd tell my brothers to send him away. i just sat in bed and moped for weeks. i only ate for the baby and i had to force food down.
"danielle sweetie?" i heard a voice outside my door i would've never expected.
"liza?" i said. she opened my door and frowned at the sight of me. i probably looked disgusting.
"hey pretty." she said. her voice was soft.
"hi." i squeaked.
"gus called me." she said.
"i guess he did." i said looking at my lap.
"i might be biased but i think you need to talk to him. baby this won't get better if you keep putting it off." she said sitting next to me.
"i can't do it anymore liza. he's hurt me a lot. i mean jesus he proposed to me! and then he cheated, while i was away. i don't know if i can face him." i said. i couldn't even face her.
"my son has made a lot of mistakes but you are not one of them. danielle i love you like my own daughter and i want what's best for you. gus is in the wrong and i know it hurts but you need to talk to him." she said.
"gus!" she yelled. i panicked again.
"liza no!" i cried.
"dani." gus said opening the door.
"i'll leave you two be." she said walking out, closing the door behind her.
"hi." he said quietly.
"gus." i said. my voice cracked.
"i had a lot to say but i got nervous and forgot it all." he said.
"gus i can't do it anymore. i can't marry you." i said. my voice shook. i slipped both rings off my finger and grabbed his hand and put them in it.
"that's all i have to say. i don't have anything else to say. i won't keep your son away from you because i'm not a monster but please just stay away. i don't want to see you." i said. i tried to sound confident but my voice cracked at the last second.
"dani please." he begged.
"gus i put up with this for longer than i should have. i'm tired of you making me feel like i'm not enough! i mean i thought you proposing to me would change things. clearly i was wrong. please get out." i said. tears flowed from my eyes involuntarily.
"dani-" gus said. he was crying.
"gus i told you before. one chance. i can't keep taking you back and giving you no consequences. you put this on yourself gus. this isn't my fault. you did this. please, until this baby is born stay far away from me. i don't want to hear how sorry you are or any excuses. it doesn't matter. nothing but this baby matters to me. you've made me feel worthless. you've made me feel not good enough. you don't get to apologize and everything goes back to normal anymore gus. please don't come back again." i said. i was sobbing by the end of my speech and so was gus.
he said no more and just left. and just like that he was out of my life. i was strong. only for my baby boy. i crawled into bed to calm down but i heard a thump outside of my door. and sobs followed it.
"oh my peepers." i heard liza say.
"i'm so stupid." he sobbed. my heart shattered. i wanted to run to him and comfort him but it wasn't my place anymore.
"mama what did i do?" i heard him cry. i got up from my bed and opened my door.
"gus get up." i said wiping my eyes. he stumbled up from the floor.
"you made me a promise gustav. you broke that promise. i no longer trust you anymore. i don't think i can ever trust you again. i don't want you out of my life that's why i put up with your shit. but clearly you cannot change. i will not put my child's life in risk just to stay with someone clearly toxic to my life. i love you, i do. i want you in my life but clearly a relationship won't work. friends?" i said. he didn't say anything he just cried in my arms.
