Chapter 2
As Vera walked past my mom, she cast a quick look at her stomach and said softly, "I'll tell him after we're married. Once we're married and have a kid, if he still has feelings for someone else, he'll be stuck with me."
My mom didn't say anything, but nodded.
I stood off to the side, staring at Vera's stomach.
She was pregnant.
And the baby was Evan's.
Three years ago, Evan told me he loved kids. He said he wanted a daughter, like me, so he could spoil her for the rest of his life.
I laughed at him back then, thinking he was planning way too far ahead.
He said, "It's not that far. After we work for two years after graduation, we'll be good to go."
Now, the baby was here, but the mother wasn't me.
I reached out and swiped at the air, as if I could grab something that wasn't there.
But I caught nothing.
Vera changed back into her regular clothes and slipped her arm through Evan's as they walked over to the checkout.
She passed her bag to him and gave a small nod, telling him to go pay.
Evan didn't reach for it.
He handed his card to the salesperson, silent the whole time. After paying, he signed the receipt and tucked his card back into his pocket.
Vera watched from the side, pressing her lips together. "Evan."
"Yeah?" he replied.
"Is your studio busy these days?"
"Not too bad."
"Can you make it to the rehearsal tomorrow? The host scheduled it for three in the afternoon."
"I'll try."
Vera's smile faltered for a moment, but she still nodded, forcing a smile.
They walked out of the bridal shop together. The sunlight was bright, casting a warm glow on them, and they looked like a perfect couple.
I drifted after them, almost like a shadow, slipping out the door.
Evan walked ahead, his pace steady and unhurried.
Vera hurried a couple of steps to catch up, reaching out to take his hand.
He allowed her to hold it.
But he didn't hold back.
His fingers lay limp in her palm, as if he were holding something that had nothing to do with him.
Vera glanced down at their hands, her lashes fluttering for a moment.
She stayed quiet and squeezed his hand a little tighter.
When it was time to get in the car, Evan opened the passenger door for Vera, waited for her to get in, then walked around to the driver's side.
He started the car.
The car was quiet, neither of them saying a word.
After about five minutes, Vera turned her head and glanced at Evan's phone sitting in its holder on the dashboard.
The screen flickered on for a second. Just pitch black, nothing else.
No photos, not a hint of anything personal.
Two years together, and his phone wallpaper was still nothing but black.
Vera turned back to face the road, her lips pressed into a thin line.
She said, "Evan, after we get married, would you change your phone wallpaper to a photo of us?"
Evan didn't answer, as if he hadn't heard her at all.
Vera's hand clenched tighter on her knee.
She didn't say another word.
All that remained was the hum of the engine.
I sat in the back seat, watching their backs.
One stayed silent, and the other didn't have the courage to ask again.
I couldn't tell who was hurting the most in this car anymore.
*****
Sophie Carter sat by the window in the café, dialing my number for the fourth time.
The mechanical sound was heard on the phone. "The number you have dialed has been switched off."
She ended the call and stared at my profile picture on the screen for a long time.
It was still the same picture from three years ago: I grinning at the camera, peace sign up, eyes crinkled with laughter.
Sophie scrolled through our chat history, and the last message was from three years ago.
I'd sent: [Sophie, let's grab some steak sometime.]
Sophie: [Sure.]
But that never came.
She took a sip of her coffee, then picked up her phone and dialed another number.
After three rings, someone picked up.
"Mrs. Lane," Sophie said.
My mom's voice came through the phone, polite but with a hint of caution. "Sophie, is something wrong?"
"Mrs. Lane, I tried calling Claire again, but her phone's still off," Sophie said softly. "She has been abroad for three years now, and she hasn't answered a single call or replied to any of my messages. I'm starting to worry about her."
There was a brief silence on the other end.
"She is busy," my mom said, her tone indifferent. "She has got a lot of classes, and her advisor is pretty strict. Don't keep calling her. There is a big time difference, and she'll get annoyed if you keep it up."
"But Mrs. Lane, she hasn't posted anything on her social media lately."
"You know how it is with young people. Sometimes they buckle down and study. Sophie, don't keep worrying about her. She is doing perfectly fine."
Sophie tried to say something, but the words wouldn't come.
"Okay, I need to go now," my mom said and hung up.
Sophie stared at the call ended screen, her brows knitting together.