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Ihuffed out a breath of frustration. This was the third time I’d drafted this same email, but I just couldn’t seem to organize my thoughts to get them to come out right. Maybe I needed a break, which was ridiculous: I’d only been at my desk an hour. Still, maybe a cup of tea and a bit of thinking time would help clear my head.
I moved into the kitchen, painfully aware of the metaphorical axe hanging above my head. We hadn’t heard anything in the three days since Naomi Perkin’s visit, but since she’d said she was close to wrapping up the investigation, I knew the end was imminent. The possibility of the insurance not being approved was huge, of course, but the idea of losing Dante for good was worse. I missed him so much when he was away for work, and that was just four days. How the fuck was I supposed to cope when he left for good and I knew he was never coming back?
I stood in the kitchen, staring at the Keurig for a ridiculously long time, sorely tempted to switch it on and make a coffee just so I could smell it, then tip it down the sink. It seemed like a heartbreaking symbol of everything I would lose once Dante left and I felt my throat clog up and tears prick my eyes. “Just make a cup of tea, you weird psycho,” I said aloud to the machine. Then I flicked on the kettle.
As I stood staring out the window, watching snowflakes fluttering lazily down, I forced myself to picture what it would be like when Dante was gone. I needed to start wrapping my head around the reality of how lonely and empty the house would feel without him and accept it, and the sooner the better. The kettle switched off. Heaving a sigh, I made the tea and took it back to my office.
My phone was on the desk, a missed call notification beeping at me as I stepped through the door. Unknown number. I pressed the buttons to retrieve the voice mail.
“Hi, Mrs. Moretti. This is Mindy from CYT Insurance. Please call me back as soon as you can. Have a great day.”
Wow, she sounded super fucking perky for someone who was most likely an agent of doom. I noted down the number she reeled off, then called her straight back, getting her voice mail in return. Fuck. Phone tag? Right now? I left a message, dropped my phone to the desk and pushed my fingers into my hair, tension growing in my stomach. Christ, I felt like I was going to vomit.
The beep of my phone ringing made me jump. I saw the number. This was it. I took a few moments to try and calm myself, drawing in a few deep breaths before I finally answered. “Hello?”
“Lucy Moretti?”
Not for much longer. I swallowed around the heavy lump in my throat. “Yes.”
“Hi! This is Mindy, from CYT Insurance. How are you doing today?”
“Fine, thank you. And you?”
“Very good, thanks for asking.”
She was waaaaay too perky. A bubble of irritation formed in my gut.
“I’ve been asked to follow up on your claim today, because Naomi has been called out of town for a family emergency.”
“That’s not good, I hope she’s okay.”
“I’m sure she will be. Her daughter has gone into labor. It’s a little premature, so we’ve all got our fingers crossed for a good outcome.”
Get to the point already, Mindy.“I’ll have my fingers crossed for her, too.”
“That’s so lovely of you to say so!”
There was a long, drawn-out silence. “Um, anyway,” I finally said, “you said you were following up on the claim. Is there something I can help you with today?”
“Oh yes, of course. Silly me! I’m calling to let you know that Naomi has finalized the investigation and she finds in your favor. Your claim has been approved.”
I fell back in the chair, my hand covering my mouth.Thank God,was all I could think. Mindy was chattering on and I forced myself to pay attention.
“I am sorry we’ve had to put you through all of this, but you know, we have to be so careful about fraud, since the coverage we offer is very comprehensive and exclusive to serving members and their families. Honestly, you’d be surprised how much deception goes on. Terrible. But obviously, you guys aren’t like that. You must have impressed Naomi, she left a note on your file. I’ve never seen her do that before.”
“What did it say?”
“Let me read it to you, word for word.It is my recommendation that this claim be granted.” She broke off, giggling at her solemn tone, before clearing her throat and continuing. “After a thorough investigation, I find no evidence of fraud. It is clear to me that the relationship is genuine, and that the husband dotes on his wife.So there you go! You’re all set and you can go ahead and have this baby with no stress. I’m super happy for you!”
“Thank you. That’s nice of you to say.” I didn’t know how I managed to squeeze the words past the huge lump that had formed in my throat.
“You’re so welcome. I’ll let you get on with your day, and I hope it’s a good one.”
“Thank you, same to you.”
I put the phone down, the words playing over and over in my head on a loop.The relationship is genuine…the husband dotes on his wife.I was so incredibly desperate for that to be true, that the fact that it wasn’t made me burst into tears. Covering my face with my hands, I just sat at my desk and sobbed it out, overwhelmed by the strength of my feelings.
It was time for me to acknowledge the truth. I loved Dante. Totally and completely. I loved him. That made me cry even harder, because there was no way I could have him. I was a package deal now and he’d made it perfectly clear how he felt about that.
