Chapter 2
She said, "I hear something scratching at the door. Is it my guide dog? Did he really come back?
"It's so cold out there. He must be blaming me for not protecting him."
Edward's brows furrowed immediately.
He set the bottle down without hesitation.
He said, his voice gentle, "Stel, it's okay, don't be scared.
"It's the wind, not him. You're safe in your room now.
"Close the window tight. I'm right here on the phone with you, I'm not going anywhere."
He dipped his head a little, speaking in a low, soothing voice.
The focus and concern on his face in that moment were something I'd never seen before, not even when I was lying on the operating table, fighting for my life.
Time ticked by, minute by minute.
I sat on the couch, watching him pace back and forth across the living room, phone pressed to his ear.
It took him a full half hour to finally calm her down and hang up.
When he finally turned around, he saw the bottle on the counter had gone completely cold.
Edward gave me an apologetic look.
He turned around, poured a fresh cup of hot water from the kettle, and walked over to hand it to me.
"I'm sorry, Laurie. Stella's really in a dangerous state right now," he said.
"She can't see, and her mental defenses have completely collapsed.
"You're a strong mother. Can you try to understand?"
I stared at the steaming cup of water, but didn't reach for it.
I'd been discharged after a C-section, lost a lot of blood, and even standing up made me dizzy.
He couldn't even be bothered to make me a cup of hot cocoa.
But he could spend half an hour soothing someone else over nothing but the sound of the wind.
Before I could say anything, his phone rang again, breaking the silence.
This time, it was Stella's doctor calling.
"Mr. Bennett, Stella is having a breakdown in her room. She's throwing things, and we can't get her under control," the doctor said.
All the composure drained from Edward's face in an instant.
He quickly grabbed his car keys and jacket from the couch.
He shot me a look full of guilt and self-reproach.
"Laurie, I have to go to the hospital," he said.
"The housekeeper will be here this afternoon. Go back to your room and get some rest," he added.
He didn't even wait for me to nod before hurrying off toward the entryway.
The front door slammed shut behind him.
The living room was empty now, only scattered with unfinished crib parts all over the floor.
I listened as his car engine faded away downstairs, growing more distant with every second.
My eyes were bone dry, not a single tear left in them.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the crumpled divorce agreement he'd stuffed there.
I smoothed it out with my hand, laying it neatly in the center of the coffee table.
Then I pulled out my phone and called my best friend, Chloe Reed, who lived in the city next door.
"Chloe, can you help me find a small place to rent near your place?" I asked.
"The sooner, the better. It doesn't have to be big, enough for me and the baby," I added.
After hanging up, I opened up a secondhand marketplace app.
I started snapping photos of all those flashy, showy pieces of jewelry Edward had given me, never practical, for show, and posted them for sale one by one.
The cold glow of the screen fell across my face.