Chapter 7 · The Call That Broke My Wedding

Nancy stopped dead. She spun around and saw Lily trembling from head to toe, barely able to stay on her feet.

Edward's face went white with rage. He snatched a golf club from nearby and swung it at Sunny mid-air.

Sunny didn't see it coming. The club knocked him clean out of the air and sent him tumbling down the stairs. Edward wasn't done. He stormed over and raised the club again. "You stupid bird," he snarled. "Running your mouth like that. I'll kill you today."

"Edward, stop!" Nancy screamed.

She saw the club swing high and had no time to think. She threw herself forward and wrapped both arms around Sunny, pulling him tight against her chest.

The blow landed hard across her back, and she let out a sharp grunt of pain. Edward kept shouting. "Nancy, this is your bird, your problem. You know exactly what Lily is going through right now, and you let this happen. You did this on purpose, didn't you?"

Still fuming, he grabbed Nancy by the arm and yanked her aside, then lifted his foot to stomp down on Sunny.

"Don't hurt Sunny." Nancy gritted her teeth against the pain radiating through her back, but her voice came out stuttering and broken. "Please, don't do this. Sunny has been with me for so long. Please."

"Get out of my way." Edward's face twisted with fury. "I gave you that bird, and if it dies by my hand, that's exactly what it deserves."

He drew back his foot and kicked Sunny across the floor.

Nancy's body had gone ice cold. She half-crawled, half-stumbled down the stairs, tripping more than once, but she didn't feel any of it. Her eyes were fixed on that tiny bundle of feathers lying on the floor.

When she had withdrawn into silence after her family fell apart and her own insecurities swallowed her whole, it was this little bird named Sunny who never gave up on her. Over and over, day after day, he called out to her.

"Nancy, I'm Sunny. Nancy, Merry Christmas."

Seven-year-old Edward had patiently taught Sunny to say those words, then asked the little bird to stay by seven-year-old Nancy's side and help bring light back into her life.

Twenty-seven-year-old Edward had just said the animal deserved to die at his hands.

Sunny lay dying on the floor. He struggled to move, and then, in his final moment, his eyes flew open, and he spoke. "Nancy," he said softly. "I'm Sunny."

Nancy dropped to her knees, and her tears fell. "Sunny," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I'm so sorry."

His tiny body soaked up her tears and slowly went cold beneath her hands. She picked up the birdcage and gently placed him inside.

Then she stood up and turned to face Edward.

Her eyes were dry wholly and now empty, and that emptiness was more terrifying than any tears could have been.

Edward didn't register what he'd done until their eyes met. He stood frozen, unable to move, and something seized his chest and wouldn't let go. "Nancy," he said, his voice rough.

Lily reacted faster than he did. She came rushing down the stairs and moved toward the cage to look at Sunny, but Nancy's voice cut through the room like a blade. "Back off!"

Lily flinched, and her eyes turned red instantly. "Nancy, I'm sorry," she choked out. "Uncle Edward only did it because he was trying to stand up for me.

"I know that parrot meant a lot to you, but you shouldn't have taught him to say those things. And you definitely shouldn't have used him to destroy my reputation."

Her reputation?

Nancy's gaze dropped to Lily's swollen stomach, and a cold smile spread across her face. "You mean the things Sunny kept saying out loud? That you and Edward have been sneaking around behind everyone's backs, and that the baby you're carrying might actually be his?"

Lily's face drained of color.

"Nancy!" Edward's expression shifted, and he charged down the stairs.

His hand moved faster than his mind, and he slapped Nancy hard across the face.

The sharp crack echoed through the living room. Nancy's head snapped to the side, and she stood there frozen.

Lily cried out, "Uncle Edward, stop. Don't hit Nancy!"

She rushed forward to check on her, but Nancy stepped back and pulled away from her hand. She didn't scream, cry, or make a scene.

There was nothing in her expression at all.

She looked utterly exhausted, her whole body deflating, and she turned and walked away without saying a word.

Edward rushed after her, lost and desperate. He said, "I'm sorry, Nancy, I—"

Nancy spun around and slapped him across the face with everything she had.

His cheek flushed red, and he stood there frozen. Something in her expression hit him hard, and his eyes filled with confusion and a strange, distant look he couldn't quite place.

Chapter 7

Nancy stopped dead. She spun around and saw Lily trembling from head to toe, barely able to stay on her feet.

Edward's face went white with rage. He snatched a golf club from nearby and swung it at Sunny mid-air.

"Edward, stop!" Nancy screamed.

She saw the club swing high and had no time to think. She threw herself forward and wrapped both arms around Sunny, pulling him tight against her chest.

Still fuming, he grabbed Nancy by the arm and yanked her aside, then lifted his foot to stomp down on Sunny.

"Get out of my way." Edward's face twisted with fury. "I gave you that bird, and if it dies by my hand, that's exactly what it deserves."

He drew back his foot and kicked Sunny across the floor.

"Nancy, I'm Sunny. Nancy, Merry Christmas."

Seven-year-old Edward had patiently taught Sunny to say those words, then asked the little bird to stay by seven-year-old Nancy's side and help bring light back into her life.

Twenty-seven-year-old Edward had just said the animal deserved to die at his hands.

Sunny lay dying on the floor. He struggled to move, and then, in his final moment, his eyes flew open, and he spoke. "Nancy," he said softly. "I'm Sunny."

Nancy dropped to her knees, and her tears fell. "Sunny," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I'm so sorry."

His tiny body soaked up her tears and slowly went cold beneath her hands. She picked up the birdcage and gently placed him inside.

Then she stood up and turned to face Edward.

Her eyes were dry wholly and now empty, and that emptiness was more terrifying than any tears could have been.

Edward didn't register what he'd done until their eyes met. He stood frozen, unable to move, and something seized his chest and wouldn't let go. "Nancy," he said, his voice rough.

Lily reacted faster than he did. She came rushing down the stairs and moved toward the cage to look at Sunny, but Nancy's voice cut through the room like a blade. "Back off!"

Lily flinched, and her eyes turned red instantly. "Nancy, I'm sorry," she choked out. "Uncle Edward only did it because he was trying to stand up for me.

"I know that parrot meant a lot to you, but you shouldn't have taught him to say those things. And you definitely shouldn't have used him to destroy my reputation."

Her reputation?

Lily's face drained of color.

"Nancy!" Edward's expression shifted, and he charged down the stairs.

His hand moved faster than his mind, and he slapped Nancy hard across the face.

The sharp crack echoed through the living room. Nancy's head snapped to the side, and she stood there frozen.

Lily cried out, "Uncle Edward, stop. Don't hit Nancy!"

She rushed forward to check on her, but Nancy stepped back and pulled away from her hand. She didn't scream, cry, or make a scene.

There was nothing in her expression at all.

She looked utterly exhausted, her whole body deflating, and she turned and walked away without saying a word.

Edward rushed after her, lost and desperate. He said, "I'm sorry, Nancy, I—"

Nancy spun around and slapped him across the face with everything she had.

His cheek flushed red, and he stood there frozen. Something in her expression hit him hard, and his eyes filled with confusion and a strange, distant look he couldn't quite place.