Chapter 4

When the nurse came in, I asked her to hand me my purse and found Penny's number in my contacts.

After I told her what had happened, she asked only one question.

“What room are you in?”

When Penny arrived, she hadn't even zipped up her jacket.

She came straight to my bedside and took my hand.

The tears I'd finally managed to stop started falling again.

“I don't know if the baby's going to be okay.”

“What did the doctor say?”

I told her everything I could remember, stumbling over the words.

She pulled out her phone and took notes, then made sure we knew exactly what I needed to prepare.

Grant didn't come that night.

A little after nine, he texted to ask if anything had changed.

I told him I was still being monitored.

He replied, “That's good. Mom's having a really hard time tonight. I'll come tomorrow.”

I put my phone on silent.

That night, Penny sat in the chair beside my bed.

Every time I woke up, she'd look over and ask if I was feeling okay.

I watched her for a long time.

This was what Grant should have been doing.

After treatment and observation, my condition gradually stabilized.

The next afternoon, the doctor evaluated me and cleared me to go home.

She went over my follow-up care, the symptoms that meant I needed to return to the hospital immediately, and told me not to push myself or spend too much time on my feet.

I wrote everything down in my phone, then requested time off from work.

I worked as an editor at a small publishing house.

I'd already switched to working remotely, but now I needed to delegate the manuscripts I was working on.

Penny went downstairs to get the car, and I texted Grant to tell him I was being discharged.

He still hadn't replied by the time we reached my house.

Penny asked if I wanted her to come inside with me.

“I just need to get some clothes,” I said. “Can I stay at your place tonight?”

She turned off the engine.

“I'll come with you.”

No one was home.

Crib brochures were spread across the dining table, and three breakfast plates sat in the sink.

Brielle's coat was draped over the chair Grant usually sat in.

I called him.

“Where are you?”

“Out getting a few things with Mom and Brielle. You got discharged?”

“I texted you.”

“I haven't checked my phone.”

“What are you buying?”

“We got there too late yesterday, and they were sold out of apple pie. Brielle still wanted some, so we came earlier today.”

I braced a hand against the dining table and slowly sat down.

They'd gone yesterday.

And they'd gone again today.

“Where's my hospital bag?”

“Back seat of the car. I forgot to take it out yesterday.”

I looked down at the hospital wristband still wrapped around my wrist.

“You took it to the bakery with you.”

“Tessa, you're already well enough to be home now, aren't you?”

Someone on his end asked if they should buy a whole pie.

Grant said, “If that's what you want, get the whole thing.”

Then he came back to me.

“What were you saying?”

“Nothing.”

I hung up.

Penny was waiting in the bedroom doorway without rushing me.

I opened my suitcase and packed my documents, medication, and clothes. Then I took out the baby clothes I'd prepared in advance.

The outfit on top was the one Grant had picked.

The first night he'd felt the baby kick, he'd kept his hand pressed to my belly, asking if she could do it again.

I sat there holding that tiny outfit for a while before placing it in the suitcase.

Penny took the suitcase from me, and I turned off the bedroom light.

At six that evening, Grant sent me a photo of the empty dining table.

“Where are you? Mom and Brielle haven't eaten yet.”

A few minutes later, my phone rang.

“Where's your luggage?”

“I moved out.”

“What do you mean?”

“I want a divorce.”

I heard a door shut on his end.

“Because I didn't come to the hospital?”

I didn't answer.

“Tessa, the doctor let you go home in the end, didn't they? I know you were scared, but you can't just—”

“When you decided not to come, did you know the baby and I were going to be okay?”

He went silent.

“I thought...”

I waited.

He didn't finish.

“I'll arrange somewhere to stay and take care of myself from now on.”

“I'm the baby's father.”

“I know,” I said. “That's why you were the first person I called.”

All I could hear was his breathing.

After a moment, he said, “Give me the address.”

“I'll send you my lawyer's contact information.”

There was a sudden jingle of keys on his end.

“Tessa, wait there. I'm coming over now.”