lay in our bed, staring at the ceiling,

ied to hide it, but I was trained to notice details. A faint red lipstick smudge on

ht I was

hispered, surprised

looked

unning a hand through hi

d mine. He knew he was lying.

her, the same one he bought me two years ago, the one that g

left me fe

nd. In a few days, I would be gone. I would be free of thi

f dizziness hit me. I swayed, grabbing the bedpost t

n an instant, his hands grabbing my

ce was a performance,

hrugging him off. "Ju

doctor," he insisted, his brow furr

crawl. "I'll go this afternoon. I have a briefing thi

n in his eyes. He knew my work was classifie

one, his regular one. But his face changed i

d, turning his back to me and

ess who it was. It

his expression tight. "It's an eme

. He was ru

his keys and rush out the door.

was cold and impersonal. I felt detached, lik

eyes. After a series of tests, she came bac

s. Mcintosh," she sa

a physical blow. Pregn

had tried for years. We'd gone through tests, treatments, endless h

hattered, a baby was coming. A child

g was a c

ver another negative pregnancy test. "One day, Gregoria,"

oken pr

my hand resting on my still-flat stomach,

it! We're reall

clutching a piece of paper. And standing in front of her, h

ning her in a circle. "A baby!" he shouted, his voice echoing in

is face was a dagger in my heart. He had never looked a

my husband celebrate a new life with his mistr

d. He had just never

ers of "one day." He had been lying then, too. He

im in my heart died out, leav

I couldn't afford. It was a link to a man I no

turned and walked back toward the doctor's office