Page 58 of Summer Affair

Andrea forced a smile. “That’s great, Amy. I’m happy for you two.”

Amy continued to gush about her reconciliation with her husband and the baby, oblivious to the pain Andrea was hiding. Dean watched her closely, his concern deepening while her sister rattled on about her happy life.

After Amy left, he turned to her. “Are you sure you don’t want to tell them?”

She shook her head, her eyes filling with unshed tears and weariness. “No, trust me, it’s better this way. I’ll deal with it. I just need some time.”

He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. “I’m here for you,” he said and felt her stiffen.

A few hours later, he drove her home. She made some excuse about being tired and disappeared into her bedroom, so he left for work.

He wanted to take a few days off to be with her while she recovered, but she convinced him to go in for the dinner rush.

The moment he stepped into work, he felt stupid for letting her talk him into going in.

“Hey,” Zoey said as she passed by. Seeing his face, she stopped and pulled him into the kitchen. “I can’t imagine what Andrea is going through right now.”

He instantly remembered that Zoey had had a miscarriage the year before.

“She told me to come in and work,” he said, feeling stupid.

“Good, then work. Respect Andrea’s wishes. She’ll get through this, even if she needs time alone.” She touched his arm. “Just don’t give her too much time alone.” She smiled. “A few days should be fine. She’ll need you after. When the reality of what has happened hits her. Until then, I’ve hired another massage therapist to fill in temporarily so she can have as much time as she needs.”

He nodded. “Good.” He glanced back towards the dining room.

“You, on the other hand.” She shoved him towards the doors. “Work. It will help take your mind off things.”

Zoey was right. An hour later he was so busy he couldn’t stop to think about anything. By the time he got off work, it was too late to call or text Andrea. He hoped she was fast asleep. After showering, he fell face first into bed and dropped off with plans to call her first thing in the morning.

Chapter Eighteen

Andrea lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling as the heat of the house warmed her. It was a nice reprieve from the frigid hospital room, so she didn’t move to turn the air down just yet.

The distant sound of waves and the faint hum of the ceiling fan were the only sounds in the room. Dean had gone to work a few hours before, and the house somehow felt emptier than it ever had.

She knew that he was worried about her and wanted to stay with her, but she had insisted he go to work. She needed some time alone to process everything. The pain from the surgery was minimal now, but the emotional weight of her loss was practically crushing her.

She would never be able to have children.

The reality of that was a knife twisting in her heart. She was thankful that, for now, her family didn’t know.

She had purposely kept it from them, choosing to bear the burden alone. She knew her mother would worry, and she had no doubt that Amy would someday use it against her. Even now, with her sister expecting—the news of which had doubled the ache in her heart—Amy had hinted at her own lack of a family.

Her mind raced, thoughts swirling in a dark, relentless loop. She had wanted so badly to be a mother someday, to experience the joy of raising a child. Now that dream was gone, ripped away in a cruel twist of fate.

The tears came suddenly, uncontrollably. She buried her face in her pillow, sobbing until her body was too exhausted to shed another tear. The sorrow was all-consuming, and it felt like it would never end. Eventually, she cried herself to sleep, her body finally succumbing to the emotional and physical exhaustion.

When she woke up, the sun was just setting. The bright colors of what was no doubt a perfect Florida sunset cast long shadows across the room, a complete contrast to the darkness she felt inside. The oranges and pinks seemed to mock her with their beauty, reminding her of what she would never have. She used to love sunsets, finding peace in their predictable beauty. Now they felt like a cruel reminder of the happiness slipping away from her.

She knew what she had to do. The clarity of her decision was as sharp as a knife, cutting through the haze of her thoughts. She couldn’t continue with Dean. There was no point in pursuing a relationship now, not when she felt like damaged goods. The thought of breaking things off with him tore at her, but it felt inevitable. How could she ask him to stay with someone who couldn’t give him a family? Ever.

The pain of that realization was suffocating. She remembered how they had joked about kids in passing, how Dean’s eyes would light up at the mention of a future together. Even though they had labeled what was between them as a fun summer affair, she’d hoped. They both had to know at this point that it was something more. Deep down, she hadn’t been able to hide it, even from herself.

Now, that future was shattered, and she couldn’t bear to be the one holding the pieces, forcing him to pretend it didn’t matter.

Tears welled up again, blurring her vision. She didn’t want to lose him, but it felt like the only way to protect them both. He deserved someone whole, someone who could share in the dreams they had once whispered to each other in the dead of night. She had to let him go, even if it meant breaking her own heart in the process.

She pulled herself up from the bed, her body feeling heavy and weak as she moved slowly. Every step towards the decision felt like walking through quicksand, each moment more agonizing than the last.