It was early in the morning, but the taxi depot was already bustling with activity. Young taxi driver Margaret had been tinkering under the hood of her car for the past half-hour, completely absorbed in her work. A deep male voice sounded from behind her.
Hello, Margaret. It’s morning, and you’re already busy with your car. What happened? Do you need some help? Startled, Margaret straightened up, wiped the sweat from her forehead.
She looked quite comical, with her nose smeared with engine oil and holding a dirty rag and a wrench in her hands. Hello, Charles. I’ve already sorted it out, thanks.
Something was wrong with the ignition, but I changed the spark plugs. I’ll wash up now, and we can have some coffee. Fetch that cake from the bag.
I baked it last night. Enjoy. Charles wiped his hands and happily dug into the cake, praising her culinary skills.
Oh, Margaret, you’re something else. It’s so delicious. You can fix cars, bake cakes, and you’re a beauty.
It’s a shame I’m married and your fiancé is a fool. He should appreciate and cherish a smart woman like you. Margaret sighed heavily, sat down beside him, took a sip of the aromatic coffee, and replied, Men are all the same.
First, they promise love and loyalty, and then they leave. Well, no matter. I’ll save up money and have a baby on my own.
I don’t need anyone. Just be careful not to let Jacob know that I’m expecting or that greedy man will surely fire me. Margaret didn’t have a chance to finish her meal as her radio squawked and the dispatcher informed her that it was time to head out to a customer.
She shook hands with her colleague and drove off, humming a tune to herself. In reality, Margaret quite enjoyed her job as a taxi driver. The days were never dull, with interactions with customers often leading to fresh news and interesting life stories.
But there were occasional mishaps as well. However, if someone had told her three months ago that she would be working as a taxi driver, she probably wouldn’t have believed it herself. Margaret’s childhood was spent in a village.
Her mother passed away when she was just five years old, succumbing to a long and severe kidney disease. She had never known her father. After her mother’s death, her upbringing fell to her grandfather, Carl.
He couldn’t bear the thought of his beloved granddaughter ending up in an orphanage, so he took her to a small settlement. Margaret loved it there. Vast wheat fields, open spaces, fragrant hay, and her favorite cat.
Her grandpa adored her and taught her everything he knew, from mowing the grass to driving and repairing old cars. Together, they overhauled an entire car, and by the time Margaret was 16, she could drive as well as an experienced man. She passed her driver’s test on the first try.
Eventually, she decided to move to the city to make a life for herself because she understood there were no prospects in the small settlement. The youth had scattered, leaving only the elderly residents. Her grandpa gave her his modest savings and blessed his girl.
Margaret rented a room and found a job as a waitress in a small cafe. She didn’t particularly like this job standing on her feet all day, and by the end of her shift, her back would ache terribly. But she had to make a living somehow.
During her lunch break at the cafe, a young and handsome man would visit every day. He always ordered coffee, sandwiches, and leisurely enjoyed his meal. He also looked at Margaret with intense interest, never taking his eyes off her.
Margaret was equally taken with the young man, and she would blush slightly every time she brought him his order. That’s how they met. The young man’s name was Andrew, and he worked as a manager for a small tourist company nearby.
He lived with his parents, who worked at a bank. A typical family, Andrew complimented Margaret, flirted with her, and one day, he brought a beautiful bouquet of delicate pink roses, handing them to her. You are as beautiful as these flowers.
I think about you all the time. I’d like to invite you to the movies. I’ve got two tickets to a premiere.
Will you come? Margaret gladly accepted, and her heart raced. That’s how they began dating. Andrew would walk Margaret home, meet her after her shift, and one day, he stayed over.
Margaret was overjoyed, thinking that they’d get married soon, and Andrew had also hinted at it. But one day, everything changed. Margaret realized she was pregnant, took a test, and felt a bit scared.
She and Andrew hadn’t talked about children, and they weren’t even married yet. That evening, she decided to tell her fiancé everything and see his reaction. Andrew remained silent for a long time, looked troubled, and it was clear that the news did not please him.
Margaret even felt a little hurt, jawing, aren’t you happy? This is our child. Yours and mine. We need to get married soon, especially before the baby bump shows.
Andrew mumbled vaguely, well, I guess. It’s just a bit early, don’t you think? How did this happen? I thought you were using protection. Okay, I’ll talk to my parents and let them know about this.