AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I knew she wanted to lie to me. She tried to force a smile, but then it fell. Tears pooled in her eyes. “I…I just…”
I dropped my fork and moved close to her on the couch. “Is it okay if I hug you?”
She nodded, letting out a low sob, and allowed me to hug her. I held Claire in my arms while she let out all the pain she had been holding in. I knew this cry. It was a tired and worn-out cry that could only be felt deep within the soul.
I don’t know how long we stayed, but by the time she had pulled away, my shirt was stained with tears, and her makeup had smudged.
“I’m so sorry. I messed up your shirt.” She gestured to my top, but I waved her off.
“It’s just a shirt. My concern is you.”
Her lips quivered again, but she didn’t break out into tears. “I just feel overwhelmed. From the baby to the new house and everything else in between. I don’t know how I will handle it all alone.”
She stared down at her stomach lovingly as any expecting mother would. But from the moment Claire had walked in, I could see the dark cloud that followed her.
“My brother told me not to come to Chicago, but I was young and thirsted for adventure. I should have just stayed in Braven.”
My ears perked at the mention of my hometown. “Braven? As in Braven Bay?”
She moved her teary eyes to me. “Yes. You know it?”
“Know it? I was born and raised there.”
“You’re kidding? Me too!”
I looked at her face closely. I was trying to place those delicate features in my mind, but I came up blank.
“What part of Braven did you stay in?”
“Oh, in Calloway Creek.”
Okay, that made sense. She had grown up on the other side of town. She was from the more affluent part of town. They weren’t millionaires. Their houses had land, and the private school, Braven Academy, was there.
“So, you moved here alone?”
“Yes. At first, I was a little scared, but the city suited me. It was this breath of fresh air away from Braven. I had always felt so trapped there. Like I was suffocating.”
I knew that feeling, but it had been numbed by my love and devotion to Jacob for years.
“Oh,” she jumped, making me worry.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” she said and smiled. “Little guy is just active today. I think he likes your cake.”
I stared at her stomach in awe and wonder. When she saw my expression, she grabbed my hand and placed it over her belly. She moved it around until she came to the side when I felt the little kick.
My eyes widened in amazement. “Oh, my God.”
There was a life in there. I mean, I knew the whole concept behind a child. But truly realizing that her body was creating and housing this little life inside her was remarkable.
“I know. It makes it all seem real now. I only wish Ethan were here to see it.”
“Ethan?”
“My husband.” She smiled sadly. “He died in a car crash the month after I found out we were pregnant. He was my best friend and the man I thought I would love for the rest of my life.”
Tears brimmed her lids, but she quickly batted them away.
