EN

ia's

the bedroom wit

g so fast that I cou

used to sign th

nd. Even when he was distant, I stayed. Even when he barely look

he had made

rriage

the stairs when I hear

ari

ed for a

't turn

me b

sed my

W

uld he possib

n said, his voice col

I turne

pression unreadable. Susan was still beh

t?" I

rows drew

ctually wa

at him in

d me it w

can simply walk away w

smile touc

everything that n

aw tig

you divor

you I won't

econds, none

he anger build

t, there was s

rpr

had expecte

ad expected

so used to me accepting whatever he said

me time alo

ed arou

ari

nored

steps when my handbag

l to th

ide scattered a

quickly to ga

d and picked up a f

gnancy

eart

tared

ace ch

s pregnant. I had tol

his hands somehow made e

tightened aro

ually hav

oked

you the

stepped

t is

ded the pa

unfol

yes wi

she looked ge

expression

ally is

otective hand

Ye

looked

n't be s

es remained

nk this chan

est ti

ying to chang

dn't you tell

ared

st fou

t me to bel

elieve what I

because you'r

ace ha

call m

ruck me harde

ered m

oose this sit

laughed

xactly what

oked

you talki

ctly what I'm

do

his child, Ethan will suddenly forge

er said

t's what

ook m

ted was a husban

len

smile dis

s eyes

last of my belo

to fight with

toward t

, Ethan mo

ed in fro

not going

ared

Wh

hear

ld me our mar

t i

hy can't

you're p

instinctively

t your p

ut until I decide what ha

n't beli

an't do

ca

tha

nou

echoed thro

remain in t

him and slipped her

r wedding,

art tw

ked at

n't cor

ll the answ

d away f

rd my room with tea

heard Susan

n't lo

*****************

CE

t followed bl

kept hi

ve the house except for

ips were caref

ved into

she had already becom

find her sitting at the dining table

call me from the kitchen

stranger in

without

child whose father r

almost everything

cle

coo

rved

to bed, I would sit alone in my roo

l I have,"

filled wi

ll prote

hs pa

ach grew

stance between

ely spo

d, his words we

top expecting k

y baby to loo

le I was preparing bre

ed at th

t Ma

art sk

ade one thin

s allowed

ed before

ell

heerful voice came throug

ced a

m fi

se I'm outsid

yes w

Wh

e to se

call

rozen in t

m I goin

n answer, I heard voices c

rried

eart

ar the entrance with

d opposite

why you came he

to see

esn't ne

aggie s

nside this house. Don't tell m

s eyes

s not yo

gie looke

it's not Maria

s face

h your

u watch

aggie's luggage and t

ts spilled

gie, pleas

pointed

ay out o

ggie tur

, are y

ded qu

m fi

n lau

just refusing to accept that E

gie's fac

njoying every

stepped

d to Ethan soon. You

gie's ang

re sha

raised

ggie did

e!" I s

ed betw

St

ld separate them,

bled ba

flew to

t through

t Mag

t my b

m spun a

eard was Aunt Maggi

rything w