He looked at his wife, then at me, and said, “She is not pregnant.” His voice was calm but weighted. I swallowed, awkward apology forming in my throat. His wife’s eyes glistened. She managed a faint, sorrowful smile. I nodded, swallowing my excitement, “I’m sorry I jumped to a conclusion.”

We sat in an uneasy quiet until Michael said gently, “Thank you for your kindness. It’s a sensitive time, and your thought came from a good place.” I left oon after, the evening casting long shadows across my thoughts: assumptions, kindness, and the fragile spaces where people hide their hearts.