“I could say to same to you,” the redhead replied with a laugh.
I could picture my wife blushing at the comment, and a small smile graced my lips.
“You know I can’t,” Avidya said with a small shake of her head.
“Any idea when he’ll show up? Has Travis said anything?” Krissy asked.
“No,” Avidya said, her voice low with defeat. “I should have just called him, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. He’ll hate me. Hell, I could only get myself talked into calling him that one time.”
I didn’t hate her. I was angry, yes. But I didn’t hate her. I had so many questions about why she was here of all places. I wanted to know why she seemed to have gone through such a tragic event that no one told me about.
What had I missed the past half year?
“You can’t hide from him forever,” Krissy said. “You should let him know. He deserves it.”
“If only it was that easy,” Avidya sighed. It sounded as though she feared my reaction. She had nothing to fear from me.
The past few months, I had changed. Not sure if it was for the better or worse, but I had changed. I was so depressed. I did so many shitty things, one after another. I had been at my lowest point in life. All because of a woman.
Yet she sat there, and didn’t seem to have to dealt with any of the things I did. She kept on living like nothing had happened.
“Someone came to kill me, Krissy. The only family member by blood that still cared for me was killed because he tried to protect me,” Avidya said. She talked as though this was nothing out of the ordinary for her. “My life is so messed up, no one deserves me.”
“But you fought every step of the way,” Krissy said. “You deserve the entire world. Don’t doubt yourself. Everyone that has met you loves you. Can’t you see that? Taylor may have died to protect you, but you are so strong. He may have died to keep you alive, but you learned so much from him. You are that strong woman you should have been all these years.
“Do what your heart wants, not your mind. As long as you keep in touch with me, of course,” she ended.
“I’ve let so many people down already, Krissy,” Avidya said sadly. I heard the tears in her voice and I was just barely able to keep myself in place. I wanted to wrap my arms around her, taking all the hurt away.
“But they understood,” Krissy said. “Didn’t they?”
“Kinda,” Avidya shrugged out. “The family that does know understands. You saw how Julia and Travis were last week.”
“Seriously!” Krissy shouted, causing the baby in the stroller to let out a whimper. “Sorry.”
I turned my head, watching as Avidya was quick to pick up the baby, who was no older than maybe two months, out of the stroller, shushing the thing.
What the hell?
My eyes widened in surprise as Avidya picked up the baby as though she knew exactly how to handle it. I wasn’t surprised by that. What surprised me was the pale green eyes that locked with my own as the baby looked over Avidya’s shoulder, looking at me as though it knew the exact reason why my wife left me.
It couldn’t be.
No.
My chest felt tight as realization dawned on me.
“How could you not tell them? Any of them?” the redhead went on
“He wouldn’t understand,” Avidya answered. “I can’t…I couldn’t let him know. He would have taken Joshua from me. Or worse”
“How would you know?” Krissy asked, appalled.
“You haven’t met him,” Avidya said. “You haven’t met my husband that wanted nothing to do with children. He told me once that he would do anything to make sure that I was not able to have a child, and I believed him.”
“But you love them all!” Krissy hissed out.
“Very much. Each and every one of them,” Avidya said. “I can’t see any good it would do. It’d just break me more.”
