Clara leaned forward and squeezed her best friend’s hand. “Going through IVF for years would take a toll on the strongest couple.”
Indie had completed round after round of IVF for five years, often struggling alone while Colt was away on missions. She’d also split her time between living in Amber Ridge and California, where Colt was stationed. To say Indie’s life had been hard these last couple years would be an understatement. And her mental health had taken a battering.
Indie ran her finger over the mug handle. “I run into his mother around town sometimes. And her fake niceness makes me so angry. She made a comment about how she didn’t think I was the type to be so independent, and it was good to see I was managing so well.”
Another stress on their marriage…his mother. She’d been nice at the start, but by the end, something had changed. She’d become so unkind, but not in an overly obvious way. She was the queen of passive-aggressive comments and doing anything to get Colt to herself, including faking illness when needed. “I so wish you’d spoken to Colt about his mother.”
“Honestly, IVF and him being away for missions so much was putting such a strain on our relationship that I didn’t want to add anything else.”
“Butshewas a strain on your relationship.”
Indie lifted a shoulder. “Colt loves her. And she never said anything obviously unkind. It was all underhanded.” She shook her head. “It’s not really her though.”
“What is it?”
“I still have these moments where I feel this suffocating ‘life isn’t fair’ weight on my chest. I see these mothers walking around with babies and children, and I wonder why they get to be mothers and I don’t.”
“There’s still time.”
“I’m thirty-four, separated from my husband, and with a history of infertility. Time is not on my side.”
No. Clara was not going to let her best friend and cousin spiral. She stood. “Come on. Let’s get you on the bed. I know just the points to put in today.”
The focus would be circulation, hormonal balance, and relaxation. Definitely relaxation.
As Indie climbed onto the bed, Clara got her needles ready. Her passion for acupuncture had started when she’d looked for natural ways to bring the body into alignment during chemotherapy. She’d found acupuncture, and she hadn’t looked back.
Acupuncture worked by balancing the body’s energy, also known asQiorChi. It could basically be used as a holistic approach to help the body feel better.
Unfortunately, she hadn’t been able to help Indie get pregnant.
Once Indie was comfortable, Clara lifted her wrist and felt her pulse. The quality, strength, and rhythm of the pulse allowed her to get a sense of her patient’s overall energy and balance. As suspected, Indie’s wasn’t as strong as Clara would like it to be.
The first needle she put in was at the Yin Tang point, also known as the Third Eye point between the brows, just above thebridge of the nose. It was her favorite for calm and relaxation, and the second it was in, Clara saw Indie’s body relax.
Magic. Acupuncture was pure magic—exactly why she loved it so much.
She systematically moved around Indie’s body, inserting the thin needles into all the points she needed. When Clara was done, she dimmed the lights, turned up the calming music, and set a small buzzer by Indie’s hand. “Press the buzzer if you need anything.”
She usually left the needles in for half an hour. Today, she might leave Indie’s in for a bit longer, not just for the benefit of the needles but also the rest, something her cousin needed right now.
Clara stepped out of her studio and into the house, closing the door quietly before moving into the kitchen.
Scarlett, of course, wasn’t home. No surprise. Exactly why Clara liked having her as a roommate. She helped Clara pay her mortgage while rarely being home.
Something on the kitchen counter caught her attention—a pile of printed pieces of paper on a laptop. But something was poking out.
She frowned as she slid out an ID card. It had Scarlett’s photo, but the name was different.
She lifted it. “Rosie Thorpe.”
“Hey.”
Clara jumped and dropped the ID. “Scarlett…I didn’t know you were home. I’m sorry, it was sticking out and I was curious—”
“Curious? You were looking at my private stuff because you were curious?” She snatched up her things. “Here’s an idea—how about you mind your own business?”
Then she turned and stormed out.
