The Luna's Legacy

It was night in the beautiful city of New York, where the glow of skyscrapers pierced the darkness, their reflections dancing over the Hudson River. The city that never sleeps was alive with its ceaseless hum, but inside a small, cozy apartment on the Lower East Side, Cassidy Hartman found solace in the quiet.

She stood in her kitchen, the aroma of roasted chicken and garlic butter wafting through the air. The flicker of candlelight on the small dining table painted the walls in soft hues, and she adjusted the placement of the silverware for the third time. Her nerves were on edge, her hands slightly trembling as she tried to shake the lingering sense of dread she had carried for weeks.

The ring of her phone startled her, and she quickly grabbed it from the counter. Sophie's name flashed on the screen, and Cassidy smiled.

“Hey, Soph,” Cassidy answered, tucking her phone between her ear and shoulder as she began pouring red wine into two glasses.

“I’m coming over,” Sophie declared, her tone light and teasing. “And before you say no, I’m bringing wine and a stack of gossip that you need to hear.”

Cassidy laughed softly, but her smile faltered. “I wish you could, but… Ryan’s coming over tonight.”

Sophie was silent for a moment. “Ah, I see,” she finally said, her voice tinged with understanding. “Another romantic dinner for Mr. ‘Doesn’t Deserve You’?”

Cassidy sighed. “He’s been distant lately, Soph. I feel like tonight’s the night he’s ready to talk about us, about the future. Maybe he’s finally realizing what we’ve been missing.”

“You mean marriage? The bare minimum for a guy who’s practically moved in with you but hasn’t put a ring on your finger?” Sophie’s sarcasm was sharp, but Cassidy couldn’t argue.

“It’s complicated,” Cassidy muttered, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

“Just… be careful, Cass,” Sophie said gently. “You’ve been bending over backward for him, but don’t lose yourself trying to fix someone who doesn’t want to be fixed.”

Cassidy’s throat tightened. “I’ll be fine, Soph. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“You better,” Sophie warned, then added in a softer tone, “You deserve more, Cass.”

The call ended, leaving Cassidy alone with her thoughts. She busied herself plating the food, forcing optimism to the surface. Tonight would be different. Ryan would see how much she cared, how much she was willing to fight for them.

The sound of the front door unlocking pulled her from her reverie. Ryan stepped in, his broad shoulders tense, his jaw set in that familiar, hardened line that made her stomach twist. His suit was slightly rumpled, his tie loosened as though he’d had a long, frustrating day.

“Hey,” Cassidy greeted with a warm smile, stepping toward him. “Dinner’s ready. I made your favorite—”

“I’m not hungry,” Ryan cut her off, brushing past her to drop his briefcase on the couch.

Cassidy froze, her smile fading. “You could’ve called,” she said softly, trying to mask her disappointment.

“I’ve had a long day, Cass,” he muttered, running a hand through his dark hair. “Can we not do this tonight?”

“Do what?” she asked, her voice tinged with frustration. “I spent hours putting this together for us. I thought—”

Ryan spun around, his eyes flashing with anger. “You thought what? That this would fix everything? That a nice dinner and some candles would magically make me forget?”

Cassidy blinked, her chest tightening. “Forget what?”

“That you’re barren,” Ryan spat, the word slicing through her like a knife.

The air seemed to leave the room. “Ryan…”

“You can’t even give me a child, Cassidy,” he continued, his voice rising. “What kind of future am I supposed to have with someone who’s broken?”

Tears welled in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. “How dare you?” she whispered.

Ryan scoffed, throwing his hands in the air. “It’s the truth! I’ve been patient, but you… you don’t even seem to care! You just go on with your life, pretending like this isn’t a problem.”

“I care,” Cassidy snapped, her voice trembling with emotion. “I care more than you’ll ever know. But I also believe that a baby should come after marriage, not before. You’re asking me to give you something you don’t even have the decency to commit to!”

Ryan’s eyes narrowed. “This isn’t about marriage, Cass. This is about you being selfish. You’re so focused on your stupid ideals that you don’t see what’s right in front of you.”

Cassidy took a step closer, her voice steadier now. “You want to talk about selfish? You’re the one who’s been shutting me out, making me feel like I’m not enough. You think I don’t know how you’ve changed, how you’ve started looking at me like I’m some… burden?”

Ryan’s face darkened. “Maybe you are.”

The words hung in the air like a death knell. Cassidy’s breath hitched, but she refused to crumble.

“You don’t mean that,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ryan grabbed his coat, his movements sharp and deliberate. “I’m done, Cassidy. I can’t do this anymore. I need a real woman, someone who can give me what I want.”

Cassidy stood rooted to the spot as he stormed toward the door. “You’ll regret this,” she called after him, her voice cracking.

Ryan paused, his hand on the doorknob. He glanced back, his eyes cold and unfeeling. “The only thing I regret is wasting my time.”

The door slammed shut, and Cassidy collapsed into a chair, her body trembling with a mix of anger, hurt, and disbelief. The flickering candlelight seemed mocking now, the quiet apartment a stark contrast to the storm raging inside her.

She buried her face in her hands, the memories flooding back—of the day she found out she couldn’t have children, of the nights she cried herself to sleep, of how Ryan once held her and told her they’d get through it together.

Somewhere along the way, those promises had turned to ashes.

And now, as she sat alone in the heart of New York City, Cassidy Hartman realized she was more alone than ever.

Stepping into the kitchen, Cassidy reached for her phone with trembling fingers and dialed Sophie’s number. She leaned her back against the refrigerator, sliding down to the ground as the dial tone buzzed in her ear.

“Hey, girl…” her voice came out faint and shaky, barely audible over the hum of the fridge.

“Cassidy?” Sophie’s voice was sharp, worried. “What’s going on? Are you okay?”

The weight of the night finally broke Cassidy’s resolve. Words seemed too heavy to form. Instead, she burst into tears, the sound raw and uncontrollable.

“Oh, Cass…” Sophie’s tone softened immediately, but her concern only deepened. “Did it happen again?”

Cassidy sniffled, pressing her forehead against her knees. “I tried, Soph,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “I tried so hard. What’s there that I haven’t done? Am I not enough?”

Sophie groaned softly on the other end. “Okay, first of all, stop that nonsense right now,” she said firmly. “You’re more than enough, Cassidy Hartman. If that idiot can’t see it, then he doesn’t deserve you. Period.”

Cassidy let out a shaky breath, but the tears kept falling. “He said I’m broken. That I’m… barren. Like it’s my fault.”

There was a sharp intake of breath on Sophie’s end, followed by an exasperated sigh. “That ungrateful, no-good, sorry excuse for a man,” Sophie muttered under her breath. “Listen to me, Cass. You are not broken. He’s just projecting his insecurities onto you because he’s too much of a coward to face his own flaws.”

“You know he is not wrong, Soph…” Cassidy muttered and Sophie rolled her eyes, “That’s trash, stop it.” She warned her but Cassidy refused, “The doctor said it too… Sophie, I am barren.”

‘Girllllll, will you shut the f*ck up? You are not, what if Ryan is the one with the problem?” she asked her but Cassidy clicked her tongue, “I wish, you know the doctor also confirmed it.”

“Then they are both wrong, now say no more stupid thing, okay??” Sophie warned her.

Cassidy stayed silent, her tears slowly subsiding as Sophie’s words began to sink in.

“Alright, that’s it,” Sophie declared. “I’m coming over.”

“Sophie, no,” Cassidy protested weakly. “It’s late, and you—”

“Too bad, I’m already halfway out the door,” Sophie interrupted. “I’m bringing tequila and the big shot glasses. You’re going to cry, drink, and then laugh until your stomach hurts. Trust me, it’s therapeutic.”

Despite herself, a tiny smile tugged at Cassidy’s lips. Sophie always knew how to handle her moods. “Fine,” she mumbled.

“Good. And Cass? Don’t you dare blame yourself for any of this. We’ll talk more when I get there. Love you, girl.”

Cassidy hung up, pulling herself up from the floor. She began absentmindedly tidying the kitchen, wiping away invisible stains on the counter, anything to distract herself until Sophie arrived.

~~~

About thirty minutes later, Sophie burst through the door like a whirlwind, a bottle of tequila in one hand and a bag of snacks in the other.

“Ta-da!” she announced, kicking the door shut with her foot. “The cavalry has arrived!”

Cassidy managed a small laugh as Sophie marched into the kitchen, setting the bottle and snacks on the counter. Sophie gave her a long, scrutinizing look before wrapping her in a tight hug.

“You look like hell,” Sophie said bluntly, pulling back to examine her.

“Thanks,” Cassidy replied dryly, rolling her eyes.

“Anytime, babe,” Sophie quipped, flashing her a grin. “Now, let’s get to the fun part.”

She grabbed two glasses from the cupboard, filled them to the brim with tequila, and handed one to Cassidy.

“To kicking out toxic losers and reclaiming your life,” Sophie toasted, raising her glass dramatically.

Cassidy chuckled, clinking her glass against Sophie’s. “To… survival?” she offered weakly.

“Eh, we’ll work on it,” Sophie said with a wink before downing her shot in one go.

Cassidy hesitated before taking a sip, the liquid burning her throat. She coughed, her eyes watering, and Sophie laughed. “Come on, lightweight, you’ll thank me later.”

As the alcohol began to take the edge off her pain, Sophie launched into a series of ridiculous stories about her day—her boss accidentally walking into the wrong Zoom meeting, the barista who flirted with her by misspelling her name, and her neighbor’s cat that somehow got into her apartment again.

Cassidy found herself laughing in spite of everything, her shoulders relaxing for the first time that evening.

“See?” Sophie said triumphantly, pouring them another round. “Laughter really is the best medicine.”

Cassidy shook her head, a genuine smile breaking through. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Probably cry yourself into dehydration,” Sophie teased. “But seriously, Cass. You’re going to be okay. One tequila shot at a time.”

Cassidy laughed, her heart feeling a little lighter. For the first time that night, she allowed herself to believe that Sophie might be right.

“I would be going to see my parents later on tomorrow morning.” She whispered to Sophie as she rested her head on her shoulder and heard Sophie sigh, “Seriously babe? Them?” she asked her.

“I know… but they are my parents.” She replied Sophie who rolled her eyes instead.

“Well, I don’t see that. You know I can be your mother and father, aren’t you tired of loving too much without being loved same?”

After hours of talking, laughing, and emptying the tequila bottle, Cassidy found herself curled up on the couch next to Sophie. Her tears had dried, her cheeks flushed from both the alcohol and the warmth of her best friend’s company.

“You’re a mess,” Sophie teased, running her fingers through Cassidy’s hair as she leaned against her shoulder.

“And you’re not?” Cassidy retorted weakly, her voice thick with exhaustion.

“Touché,” Sophie replied with a chuckle, wrapping her arm tightly around Cassidy. “Now close those eyes, girl. You need sleep more than you need another drink.”

Cassidy let out a soft hum of agreement, her eyelids growing heavier with each passing second. The soothing rhythm of Sophie’s breathing lulled her into a sense of security she hadn’t felt all evening.

Within moments, she drifted off, her head resting against Sophie’s chest. Sophie sighed, her own eyes fluttering shut as she held Cassidy close, both of them succumbing to the