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 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.

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.

“Yes. So please don’t tell Mom and Dad about today. I don’t want them to misunderstand Emily. If you keep quiet, I’ll do anything.”

He’d bought these to appease me for Emily’s sake. I saw the tag: “Parrot Toys.”

My heart sank. These were from their shopping trip for Coco.

“Anything?” I feigned cheer, wiping my tears.

He nodded. I showed him the divorce papers, hiding the content, revealing only the signature line.

“Sign this promise.”

He frowned. “What promise?”

“A promise you’ll never leave me.”

I’d done this before. He signed without hesitation.

I put the papers away, feeling lighter. Mark had been my savior. Now, I’d free him.

We’d met young. My family was okay, but after my parents’ divorce, I lived with my dad and his new wife, feeling like an outsider.

In school, everyone had matching class jackets. Mine was a knock-off. Kids laughed. Mark ripped his jacket, stood beside me, and retrieved my dignity.

“Is a knock-off funny? Not everyone cares about this stuff. Her jacket is just like mine.”

Later, my stepmom got pregnant. My dad, wanting to get rid of me, locked me in the house when a fire started. Mark saved me.

My dad went to jail, my stepmom vanished. Mark paid my tuition, keeping me in school.

He was always there in my darkest hours, making me believe I was special.

Now, I knew better.

“Mom and Dad want us for dinner. If you’re okay, let’s go.”

At their door, Mark’s phone rang. It was Emily.

“Emily’s scared to cook after today. I’ll make her something.”

After dinner with his parents, as I was leaving, Mark’s mom frowned at her phone.

“He’s with Emily again!”

She showed me a picture Emily posted: Mark cooking dinner.

“Sarah, you said he was at work. You knew, didn’t you? That girl’s married, and she’s still clinging to Mark! What has she done to him?”

His parents had learned about Emily’s marriage and disapproved. They feared Mark’s reaction if he found out.

I knew, and it’s why I hadn’t divorced him. I thought I was protecting him. He resented me for eight years because of it.

Not this time.

“Sarah, we’re so sorry. We thought once you were married, Mark would forget Emily. After all, he used to…”

I smiled.

“Mark helped me out of pity. I misread him. We’re both unhappy. It’s best to end it.”

“End it?” They stared.

“We signed divorce papers. I’m leaving soon. Please don’t tell him. I don’t want him making another regrettable decision.”

Mark’s cold eyes in the time machine haunted me. We’d been together for over a decade. I’d never felt so distant from him.

I went home. Later, my door was kicked open. Mark’s furious face loomed.

“Sarah, you promised not to tell! You want Emily dead!”

“Because of you, Mom and Dad went to her place! They argued, and Coco flew away!”

Coco was lost? I clenched my fists. Had I changed nothing?

“Sarah, Coco’s like Emily’s child. Now you’re pregnant, you should understand how it feels to lose a child!”

“If Coco doesn’t come back, we should terminate your pregnancy. I don’t want Emily to be upset seeing it.”

His words chilled me. I knew the pain of loss. He didn’t.

“I’ll find Coco.”

He sneered.

“You should. It’s your fault. Stop pretending to care. You’re not a good person.”

As I searched near Emily’s building, lights shone upstairs. Two figures embraced on the balcony.

The cold gnawed at my post-surgery weakness. My head spun, but I kept searching. Finding Coco meant I’d owe Mark nothing.

At dawn, I found Coco shivering in the bushes, tied to a shrub.

Carrying him upstairs, I saw Mark wiping Emily’s mouth. He froze, then took Coco.

“Emily, it’s Coco!”

Emily took the bird, then cried as Mark looked at me.

“Mark, Coco’s not well. He was out all night. He’ll die! Let’s take him to the vet.”

Mark hesitated, seeing my pallor.

I leaned against the doorframe. “Go. I’ll get home.”

They left. I collapsed.

I woke up in the hospital, Mark beside me.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were sick? Are you okay?”

He didn’t know about the miscarriage. I felt relief.

“Coco’s fine. I should’ve gone with you, but Emily was on the balcony. I was worried she’d jump.”

“I’m sorry.”

I laughed. He looked confused.

“Mark, you’re still soft-hearted, like when we were kids. You helped me out of pity, right? Would you have done it if you knew you’d have to marry me?”

He nodded without hesitation.

“Don’t be silly. I never regretted helping you. I got your favorite soup dumplings. Eat something.”

He opened the container. Emily appeared, clutching her stomach.

“Mark, my stomach hurts. Can I have the dumplings?”

My own stomach growled.

Mark gave her the dumplings. “Emily has a sensitive stomach. Trade with her.”

I stayed silent. Emily said, “I threw my food away, but the bag’s clean. I can get it for Sarah.”

“I’ll buy you something…”

“Mark, can you come to my appointment first? I’m afraid of needles.”

Mark returned at noon, guilt in his eyes.

“Sorry I’m late. If you hadn’t told my parents, none of this would’ve happened. Leave Emily alone.”

Something tightened in my chest. I didn’t explain.

“I’ll stay home and take care of you. The doctor said the first trimester is crucial. Do you think it’s a boy or girl?”

Guilt made him talk about the baby.

“Do you like kids?”

“I do.” His eyes shone. My heart ached.

He wanted children…

A nurse rushed in.

“Mr. Miller, a Ms. Emily is on the hospital roof. She seems distraught. Please come quick!”

Mark bolted, not noticing he’d ripped out my IV.

I followed. He carried Emily down from the roof. Passing me, his eyes were like ice.

“Sarah, I can’t believe you’d do this!”

“You accused Emily of being married. Maybe this isn’t even my baby.”

He saw my bleeding hand, his face creasing with concern.

My doctor approached to explain, but Mark carried Emily away.

I knew it was time to go.

I packed my bags, leaving my old life behind.

…

Mark calmed Emily. After she fell asleep, he remembered the doctor.

He went to the office, learning I’d left.

“Stubborn, even pregnant!”

“Pregnant? You didn’t know? She lost the baby in the fire. The impact and the delay getting to the hospital…”