No variable appeared between Ellen and me.
I took Ellen home, just as she wanted.
We simply held hands and fell asleep.
We really did nothing except hold hands.
The next day, Ellen’s mother—my future mother-in-law—called me over.
“So.
What happened between you two last night?”
“Nothing happened, ma’am!
Really.
Absolutely nothing.”
“A grown man and woman spend the whole night together, and you expect me to believe nothing happened?
So what are you planning to do about my Ellen?”
“W-What do you mean?
What exactly am I supposed to do?”
“So you’re just going to leave her like this?”
“We’ve only been dating for a little over a month.
I think making that kind of decision now would be far too soon.”
Inside, I was desperately calling out to Ellen.
Ellen!
Why are you just sitting there?
Tell your mother nothing happened!
Hurry!
But Ellen kept her head lowered.
She didn’t say a word.
She looked exactly like someone who had already gotten herself into trouble.
This wasn’t part of the original scenario…
We weren’t supposed to get married for another six months.
Between her mother’s insistence…
And Ellen’s own willingness…
Ellen ended up moving into my house.
“Ellen.
Should we move somewhere else?”
“Why?
It’s already perfect with just the two of us.”
“I’m worried about your mother living all by herself.”
“No.
I like it this way.
If Mom lived with us, I wouldn’t be comfortable.”
“…All right.
If that’s what you want.”
Two months passed.
The scenario didn’t change.
Nothing about my investments changed.
Nothing about my daily life changed.
Everything continued exactly as it had in the original scenario.
But…
I let my guard down.
On the hundredth day since we started dating, we celebrated by going to The Pink Door.
The food paired perfectly with the wine.
We were having such a wonderful time. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
One bottle became two.
Two became three.
Then…
Everything went black.
When I opened my eyes…
“Huh?”
I was still at The Pink Door with Ellen…
Something soft rested against my shoulder.
“Huh?”
“What is this?”
Slowly, I pulled back the blanket covering us.
Ellen.
Completely naked.
“W-Why is Ellen…”
I looked down at myself.
I wasn’t wearing anything either.
“Why am I…”
Then it hit me.
We’re screwed.
“Ellen!”
“Did we really…
do it last night?”
“No…”
“This can’t be happening…”
Just because a man and a woman sleep together…
It doesn’t always end in pregnancy.
At least…
That’s what I believed.
That’s what I wanted to believe.
That belief lasted exactly one month.
Two red lines appeared on the pregnancy test.
Ellen was pregnant.
After we confirmed the pregnancy, my days became unbelievably busy.
“Luke!
Isn’t this adorable?
Let’s buy it!”
“Luke!
We absolutely need this one too!”
Even before her belly had begun to show, Ellen dragged me shopping every chance she got.
Baby clothes.
Tiny shoes.
Every little thing a baby could possibly need.
Then my future mother-in-law started in on me.
“Luke!
Ellen has to wear a wedding dress before her belly gets big!
It won’t look good once she’s showing!”
My own parents weren’t any different.
“Luke! Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
There’s a baby now.
You need to get married as soon as possible.
I refuse to let my grandchild be born before the wedding.
I’m not having my grandchild labeled the child of an unmarried mother!”
In the end…
Our wedding took place…
Two months earlier than it had in the original scenario.
All that time…
I carefully watched for signs of any new variables.
But none appeared.
None at all.
Except…
Isaac was now growing inside Ellen.
Eventually, Ellen reached full term.
The day of the delivery finally arrived.
I held her hand…
And went into the delivery room with her.
During labor…
She hit me.
Bit me.
Raised absolute chaos.
The only thing that saved me from that ordeal…
Was the moment the baby finally came out.
Isaac…
Huh?
What…?
My first child was supposed to be Isaac.
A son.
But…
Something that should have been there…
Wasn’t.
“It’s a girl!”
At last…
A variable had appeared.
But…
That face…
It looked so unbelievably familiar.
So tiny.
So adorable.
My precious treasure.
It was Sophia’s face.
“W-What…?”
The variable…
My second daughter…
Had become my first.
How was I supposed to put this scenario back the way it was?