His Pregnant Lover, My Husband

Synopsis

It was in a mother and baby store that I spotted my husband, James Carter, tying the shoelaces for Celia Lynn. That day, I was thirty-two weeks pregnant. I'd just finished my prenatal checkup in the hospital and went to that store by a cab alone, planning to check out some cribs. But the moment I stepped inside, I heard James's voice. "Let's get two sets of these baby bottles. Your skin is sensitive, so you must pick the mildest care products," James said. I stopped in my tracks, feeling like my breath had slammed into a wall of glass. Celia stood next to him, her belly round and prominent under a loose maternity dress. Her hand rested on James's shoulder, like it was both casual and familiar. James was half-crouched, one hand steadying her calf, the other tying her loose shoelace with the kind of ease that comes from doing it countless times. The store clerk smiled and said, "You're so thoughtful. You really take good care of your wife." James didn't deny it. Celia didn't deny it either. She even ducked her head with a shy smile and murmured, "James, don't buy so much stuff. Olivia's going to get annoyed if she sees all this." I stood behind the stroller, my hand still gripping the edge of the counter, and out of nowhere, a bitter laugh almost slipped out. They knew all along that I'd be upset. It wasn't that they didn't know their limits. They knew but just didn't care. I pushed the stroller and headed straight for the exit.