His Two Wives

events, and places are imaginary. Any resemblance

*

s she hurried down the icy streets, her boots crunching through slush. The city still wore its Christmas smile-twinkling lights strung across balconies,

n of her phone. It led her toward a small pizzeria a few blocks ahead.

cross the street

tch

ck car screeched to a halt inches from her kne

o reveal an older woman-elegant

ave a death wish?" the woman barked

wn stammered, her

h, slammed the window up, and sped off, leav

st, her pulse thrumming in her ears. Then she shook h

se sh

ge, had taken them in, but the woman's home had been a cold kind of prison. The chores, the shouting, the endless reminders that they were charity cases. At s

her enough for a one-bedroom a

and hope. Rent. Tuition. Groceries. Life was an endless balanc

r gaze to the glowing sign ahea

a hug she hadn't realized she needed. The air smelled of baked bread a

counter when a man's furious

ike trash, and

t at his boss, and stormed toward the door. He brushed past her

arked, and a young woman behin

good anyway," the man said bef

forward. "Um... hi. I'm h

about her age with soft cur

h. "We just lost a guy, and we're short-staf

eplied quickly. "I can sta

I like." The woman extend

Coll

rom under the counter. "You can change in there," she sai

d in her new uniform-too big in

that thing look g

e she could stop it. "Thanks.

box and a delivery slip. "First

ng with something she hadn't fe

door, stepping back

*

ster adjusted her fur coat and sat on an ornate sofa. The sound of f

, her eyes flicking toward the grand

Manch

ome-and broken in ways

Daphne asked softly, s

said flatly, w

m your mother.

, her perfume, the way she used to fill every corner of his life with light. Then came the il

d, his tone clipped, final. Th

aching. The house had grown

orbell

phne rose an

," came a bright voi

widened

inked.

almost threw herself

old water. "Oh-oh my God, that was you!

ding into amusement. "Just... try not to

eful," Dawn said quickly

the door. For a moment, she stood there, her

, a smile cu

herself, "there's a sol