“What? What in the world are you talking about?”
“Marcus is the dad to two of the students at my school,” I hiss, trying to keep my voice down. I don’t know why it matters. I’m sitting alone on my couch in my apartment. It’s not like anyone is going to hear me.
“Wait,MarcusMarcus?”
I roll my eyes, even though she can’t see me. “Yes,MarcusMarcus.”
“He has kids?” I hear the shock in her voice. “But…how?”
“Angie, come on.”
“Sorry. That’s not what I mean. I mean, I know how, obviously, but he has kids?”
“Yes.”
It’s a knife straight to the heart. One that I thought was healed. But one sight of him—one short conversation—and it’s cut into pieces again.
Shredded, really.
I guess I never got that closure I thought I had.
“Do you think that’s why he left?” Angie asks.
“I mean, why not? I never found out why he left.”
I grab the glass of wine sitting on my table and head into the small office. Pulling open the closet door, I pull down the box that I keep tucked away there.
The box that I shouldn’t have but can’t bring myself to get rid of.
“God, Harper. Are you okay?”
“I don’t know,” I confess. There’s no point in lying. “I don’t know what I’m feeling right now.”
Yanking off the lid, my lip starts to quiver, my chin shaking as I try to hold off the inevitable tears.
“Do you need me to come visit?”
A tear sneaks out and I wipe it away. “No.”
“You sure?”
I pull the pink fabric out and run my fingers over the soft material. I haven’t looked at this since I put this dress in the box.
“No. But I don’t want you traveling right now when you’re so close to popping.”
I can feel Angie’s smile through the phone. “Hey, I can still travel for a few more weeks. Doctor says the baby and I are doing good. Let me come.”
I shake my head. “I’ll be okay. I promise.”
“Will you?”
“Yes. I made it through the worst days. What’s one more?”
“One day at a time, Harper. And if you change your mind, I can have Troy drive me out there.”
I laugh. “I love you, Ang. I really do.”
“I love you too. I mean it. I’ll get my ass out there however I can.”
