Todd

ghbor, stayed until they had me settled in a room, handling the pape

anding me a cup of water. His voice was

feeling heavy and slow. "I'm

le air between us, shocking

rprise, but he didn't pres

surd need to apologize for laying my messy lif

mile touching his lips. "Get some re

A bitter laugh bubbled in my throat. The last time I was in the hospital for a minor surgery,

It was him. A picture of a delicate

ppy Anniversary, m

ignited in my chest. Maybe he felt g

ver Kamala Wong' s profile. Her latest story, posted just five minutes ago, was a pictur

s fundraising goal, everyone gets a little t

re senior staff, and he was trying to pass one off as a hear

o Kamala. I' m sure she'

let it ring twice before answering,

ed to mean, Eliza?" he snappe

at for your whole team, Dante.

n accept a gift gracefully. You have a credit card with no limit, a bea

luxuries he provided. He had no memory of the tiny, rundown apartment we started in, of the two jobs I worked whil

olding a bag of takeout. The smel

ight be hungry,"

e turned venomous. "Is ther

he hospit

this time? A headache? A stomachache? Yo

ed my eyes shut, placing a protective hand over my stomach. No

p," I said, my

don't yo

pressing down on the red ic

texts immedia

sleeping with

ing I've given you.

ICK UP T

gone. But I looked at the soup Jace had brought, and I l

ing words a stern reminder to take it easy. Jace wa

I said, my voice th

," he repl

f ice and twisted my ankle. I' d called Dante, who was only ten minutes away at a community meeting, to ask for a

plush leather seat, a fresh wave of grief washing over me. A near-stranger

e the door, a familiar car s

nt

moment, I thought he had come because he was worried. I thought maybe he

the sink and your clothes are all over the bedroom floor. I have a fundraiser tonight.

ace contorted with petty annoyance. He was scolding me for not doing

thread of hope

nsion, "you haven't been able to give me a child in five

rofound it felt like silence. Every

aving everything he ever wanted. And he had just proven,

s flicking over my hospital wristband with dismissiv

tective step fo

arm, stopping him.

manded, grabbing my arm. "We're go

ar and shove me into his own. The fight had gone o

ed, my voice flat, as he sp

t the Arts Gala," he said, not loo

-