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“Sounds good. So, who is this cutie?” I point down to the little girl in the wagon.
“I’m Hope.”
“She is Jax and Ellie’s little girl.”
“Well, hello, Hope. I’m Sydney.”
“Do you pet the elepants?” she asks me with a smile.
“I do. Maybe someday July can bring you back and I’ll take you in to see them. We can’t right now.”
“Can we?” She looks up at July.
“Yeah,” July responds, then turns to me. “Okay, we’ll let you get back to work.”
I wave at them until they disappear, then I head into the back where my office is to do some chart notes before I have to clean the exhibit again.
* * *
As my day progressed, I kept thinking about Tucker. Of his body wrapped around mine when I came to my senses finally. His voice when I was lost in my head. When the fog caused from the fireworks sounding like the guns going off had lifted, I took him all in. The smell of him—clean soap, cedar, and something all him. I kept getting distracted by my thoughts and found myself doing something I hadn’t done in months. Daydreaming. Something in me wants to take a chance with a man like him. Could I really do that?
I climb into bed exhausted and drift off into a fitful sleep.
“Sydney Parrish,” a deep voice says from the doorway of my hospital room. I look over and see a man in a South African Police Service uniform. His dark brown eyes take me in. His voice is heavily accented, and I immediately start to shake. My mother’s hand gently lands on mine, trying to give me strength. “I am Captain Lathabo Bawani. I’m working with a sergeant with the Zimbabwe Republic Police. We are investigating your claims. From what we’ve been able to find, we are going to need to question you. Is now a good time?”
“Sir, my daughter will not answer any questions without her attorney present. She should be back here shortly,” my mom says.
“Mom, I can answer his questions. I want the people responsible to be held accountable.”
I’ve been in the hospital for two weeks. The first week I was pretty much unconscious. They thought I would lose my baby, but so far it is holding strong, and we are going to find out what I’m carrying soon. I have a long list of surgeries to face, but most of them will have to wait until after the baby is born. I have to have reconstruction done on my right ankle. I have a bullet in my shoulder that has to be removed too. My other wounds are healing. Whenever I was conscious, I would try to answer questions and tried to get people out to identify the bodies so they could be recovered.
“Murderer,” a woman screeches as she pushes past the officer and into my room. I look her over. I can’t place her but something about her looks familiar. Her dark skin is flushed; her hair is pulled back from her face. Her pretty brown eyes are rimmed in red.
“Mrs. Abara, I told you we are still investigating your claims and Ms. Parrish’s too.”
“Arrest her! She killed my husband. What do you have to investigate? He’s dead and she’s alive.” Tears roll down her face. I realize who she is now.
“Get her out of here.” My mom raises her voice as the woman advances on me. My mom tries to protect me, but the woman pushes her away and starts hitting me before anyone can stop her. Her fist slams into the side of my head, and I cry out.
I did kill her husband. But the pain of being punched is minor compared to the pain in my heart from his betrayal and what I had to do.
I come awake as a sharp pain slams into my chest and I can’t control my breathing. I roll to the side off my bed and stumble into the bathroom. I barely make it before I throw up the little bit of food in my stomach. When I’m finally done, I stand on shaky legs to rinse my mouth and wash my face. I look in the mirror and stare at the woman looking back at me. She isn’t the same woman I was a year ago. A year ago, I found out the man I was sleeping with was married. I found out he had been lying to me. I also found out he was worse than I could have ever imagined. A year ago, my life changed irrevocably.
I crawl back in bed and toss and turn until I fall asleep.
* * *
Tucker
My phone vibrates in my pocket and I set the cabinet I was getting ready to install down.
“Yeah,” I answer without looking at the screen.
“Hey, Tuck, you coming tonight?” Wes’s voice comes across the line.
“Man, it’s Friday pizza night. Hell yeah, I’ll be there. Why are you calling to ask?” I chuckle into the phone.
“July wanted me to verify. She said to pick up a couple extra pizzas. It’s your turn to buy.”
