“I didn’t think I’d see this place again,” Alex says.
I smile. “I never thought I’d say this, but I’m also happy you reached out to your mother. I don’t have arelationship with her, but I don’t mind if you decide that you want her to stay in your life.”
Trying to come between my husband and his mother could cause him to resent me. My due date is coming up, and I can’t handle any more stress.Maybe if I pretend to accept Marcy, she’ll pretend to be kind to me.
Alex kisses the side of my neck. “I love to hear you say that, but my mother and I… we don’t have a relationship either. She only wants me in her life because she’s lonely. All the money she has doesn’t make her happy.”
“Has she mentioned anything about our baby?” I turn to face him, to study his expression. “She didn’t congratulate me. How about you?”
“She said nothing about the baby.” He shrugs. “I’m not surprised by her behavior. When we lost our first child, she didn’t care either. So, it’s fine.”
It’s not.
I can see the sadness through the smile he’s faking, etched into the vertical lines of the frown on his forehead.
“I’m so sorry, baby.” I reach up to massage away the frown. “It’s really sad but—”
“Look, I don’t want you to torture yourself about this.” His voice is stronger now. “I’m going to limit the times my mother comes to visit. I don’t want her to cause you stress in any way. We’re getting a do-over. We’ll do it right this time. I want us to secure our child’s future. Once we’re financially secure, she’s out of our lives.”
“Okay.” I smile up at him.
Will we stay long enough at the ranch for our child to be born? How long will it take for Alex to get what he wants?
He opens one of the many windows and cool air wafts in, sending the sheer curtains fluttering. “We should drive into the town. I’d like to see some old friends. I’d also love to show off my beautiful wife.”
“I don’t feel especially beautiful right now, just exhausted.” I massage the back of my neck. “If you don’t mind, I’d really like to have a long bath and get some rest.”
I’m still dizzy from the roller coaster ride we’ve been on the past few days. It will take some time for me to calm down. I can’t bounce back as fast as Alex did.
“Anything you need me to bring you from the stores? They only sell the necessities, but if you need something important, I could drive to Dallery.”
“No, we have everything I need right here. But please don’t stay long. It’s weird but I kind of still miss you.”
“I’ll be back as soon as I can, my love. But call me if you need me for anything at all. I’ll also call the OB-GYN in Dallery to let them know that you’ll pay them a visit sometime.”
I nod and he kisses my nose.
As soon as he’s gone, I feel out of place, but I try to make myself feel at home. The first thing I do is give myself a quick tour around the five-bedroom house.
It has an outdoor kitchen, a swimming pool, a gym, and even a spa.
When I’ve finished my self-guided tour, I run myself a bath and enjoy the warm water for half an hour. I only climb out when there’s a commotion downstairs.
I slip into a bathrobe and hurry out onto the landing.
“Alex is that you?” I call. “Why are you back so soon? I thought you were meeting up with some friends.”
“It’s not Alex,” a familiar voice responds.
I glance over the landing to see Marcy, dressed in a black and white pantsuit with high heels. My chest tightens at the sight of her.
“Marcy. I didn’t... I didn’t know you were coming by.”
“I don’t need to make an appointment. This is my house and you’re a guest.”
I make my way down the stairs. It’s time for me to speak my mind. After years of waiting to say what I feel about her, I’m still not ready to put her in her place, but I’m ready to try.
I plant myself right in front of her. “Marcy, I know you don’t like me. Honestly, I’m finding it hard to like you too. But it’s been many years now and I’m Alex’s wife. I’m no longer his girlfriend. I’m no longer the scared little girl you tried to intimidate. I have a right to be in his life, perhaps even more than you do, after what you did to him.”
