My Fiancée Made Him Her Birthing Coach During My Deployment. I Made Her My Coaching Example..

The video call froze for exactly three seconds before the sound caught up, and in those three seconds, I watched my entire future crumble in pixelated slow motion. There was Jessica, my fiancée of two years, sitting in what used to be our living room, her hand resting on a belly that had grown considerably since our last call three weeks ago.

But that wasn't what made my blood run cold. It was the man sitting next to her, his arm casually draped across the back of the couch behind her shoulders, looking more comfortable in my spot than I ever had. Before we jump back in, tell us where you're tuning in from, and if this story touches you, make sure you're subscribed—because tomorrow, I've saved something extra special for you! "Marcus, honey, I need to tell you something," Jessica said, her voice carrying that particular tone she used when she was about to ask for something she knew I wouldn't like.

But this time, there was something different in her eyes. Something that looked almost like relief. "This is Ryan. He's been helping me through the pregnancy. You know how scared I've been about doing this alone. " Ryan gave a little wave to the camera, and I noticed the way his fingers briefly touched Jessica's shoulder as he did it. The gesture was too familiar, too intimate for someone who was supposed to be just a friend helping out. I'd been deployed for six months, with three more to go, and apparently, I'd been replaced. "Hey, Marcus," Ryan said, and his voice had that easy confidence of someone who knew he was winning.

"Jess has told me so much about you. Thanks for your service, man. " I should have exploded. I should have demanded explanations, threatened to catch the first flight home, made accusations. Instead, I found myself nodding slowly, taking in every detail of the scene in front of me. The way Jessica leaned slightly toward Ryan when she spoke. The prenatal vitamins on the coffee table that I'd ordered for her, now clearly being managed by someone else.

The ultrasound photos stuck to the refrigerator in the background, photos I hadn't seen yet. "That's really thoughtful of you, Ryan," I heard myself say, my voice steady in a way that surprised even me. "I appreciate you looking out for Jessica and the baby while I'm over here. " Jessica blinked, clearly expecting a different reaction. "Marcus, are you okay? You seem. . . calm. " "Why wouldn't I be calm? " I asked, leaning back in my chair in the small communications room at the base in Germany.

"You're getting the support you need. That's what matters. " The confusion on both their faces might have been funny under different circumstances. Ryan shifted uncomfortably, probably wondering why the deployed boyfriend wasn't losing his mind. Jessica opened her mouth to say something else, but I was already formulating my next move. "Actually, I'm glad you called," I continued, pulling up my laptop while keeping the video call running on my phone. "I've been thinking about our situation a lot lately.