Tessa Thompson (1) (1983–)

A woman who’s having trouble conceiving ponders the road — actually, lover — not taken. She’s dissatisfied by her husband Jack, who makes decisions without consulting her. Is Jack right that they should immediately undergo IVF again so soon after the miscarriage. “Twenty-five percent of women miscarry and carry on,” she remembers. So, she thinks, what’s wrong with her?

While on the BART in San Francisco, she remembers the college classmate she bedded 25 days before her wedding. show more She imagines a better life with him, a more interesting man, a man with whom she’s lost touch. Even so, she still clips articles that other man would have liked. She also wonders if she really wants a child, or if she’s in love with the idea of a baby more than an actual infant, who will drastically change her life.

She must know that imagined lovers will always outshine real-life men. And she must know that — no matter what one decides — the road not taken always look like the better choice. show less

Short and Bittersweet

CW: Miscarriage, Fertility Issues, Murder by Police (Referenced)

An incredibly short story filled with so many complex emotions packed in. Beautifully crafted and masterfully performed. I wish I had more words right now, but it's powerful and raw -- an exquisite little gut punch.