Page 56 of Don’t Open Your Eyes

“It is. I’ve always felt like I could live in California,” Chase said.

“I can see why. Beautiful weather, palm trees everywhere, sun. It makes me wonder why we stay somewhere where the weather is only nice half the year, if that.”

“Would you ever consider moving? Working out of the L.A. office?”

“No. My husband’s practice is in Connecticut, and so are his parents. He wouldn’t leave.”

“What about your parents?”

“My mom died eleven years ago, and I don’t talk to my father.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Do you have any siblings?”

She shook her head. “Nope. Just me. My father left us when I was a kid, and he screwed my mom over. It’s a long story, but I don’t want to have anything to do with him. James’s parents are good grandparents, and I wouldn’t want to move the girls away from them.”

“It’s hard. Once you have a family, you lay down tracks. It’s not easy to uproot everyone.”

They were both quiet for the rest of the ride, seemingly lost in their own thoughts. When they got off, Annabelle thought it best to end the evening. “I’m beat. Think I’ll head back and call it a night.”

“I’ll walk you back, I—”

“It’s okay. Enjoy the pier. I’ll see you in the morning.” Annabelle walked away before Chase could protest.

When she got to her room, she washed up and changed. She brought her laptop over to the bed and navigated to Facebook. Her text tone buzzed, and she picked up her phone. From Chase. It was a photo of his hand holding a glass of wine, the moon and ocean in the background.

Thanks for a great night. Hope your dreams are only sweet ones xx

She started to type, then erased it and simply hearted the message. Since his room was right next to hers, if she went out on the balcony, she would see him. Shaking her head, she went back to her laptop and typed Tara Sommers into the search bar. Several profiles popped up. She clicked on the first one, but quickly realized it couldn’t be Chase’s wife when she saw it was a much older woman. Two more Taras were too young, and then finally she found a profile under Tara Winters Sommers. A beautiful blond woman who looked to be in her forties. Annabelle went to the About section and places lived. Fairfield, Connecticut. Bull’s-eye.

Annabelle clicked on a recent picture showing Tara at a restaurant with two other women. She was holding a martini glass and smiling. There were some political posts, some feminist memes, and a few more of her with other women. Tara seemed to be involved in a variety of causes. There were fundraisers for a shelter, and posts asking for donations to school lunch programs. She was dressed to the nines and perfectly made up in each picture. She was much more glamourous than Annabelle; she felt a little intimidated by how beautiful Tara was.

Her social posts revolved around parties and events—nothing at home or with their son. Annabelle wondered if that was because they didn’t spend a lot of time together, or if she was simply keeping her family life private. She thought of Chase’s comments about his wife thinking he doted too much on his son. She kept scrolling and came to a series of posts from the holidays the year before. The first looked like a Christmas party, and they were with a group of friends. Chase had his hand on the shoulder of a guy sitting down, and the other arm by his side. Tara’s arm was linked through Chase’s possessively. The next post was the two of them in evening wear for a New Year’s party. Again, Tara’s arm was linked through Chase’s, but his hands were clasped in front of him. She studied picture after picture, looking for a clue to their relationship. He didn’t seem into his wife. Or maybe that’s what she was hoping to see. It was odd that there were no family photos, and that the last ones of Tara and Chase were from almost a year ago. All recent posts were of Tara with friends.

Annabelle’s own Facebook page was full of family outings and photos, special occasions, and shout-outs of significant accomplishments. She realized, of course, that so much of social media was smoke and mirrors. She knew from her job how people curated their online profiles. And how often had she seen a friend posting about how wonderful her husband was, only to file for divorce a few months later?

The recent activity on Tara’s page could belong to a single woman. It was weird. But what bothered Annabelle the most about Chase’s current absence from his wife’s Facebook page was that she was happy about it.

Before

The semester was almost over, and Annabelle was beginning to feel optimistic about her future. She had the resources to ensure that her mother would continue to be well taken care of. She and Randy were getting along great, and his excitement about the baby was contagious. Two weeks ago, she had moved in, and it was nice coming home to him every night. James had moved out a week ago, after buying a house near the beach in Fairfield, but still came over often. She had a feeling his parents had contributed, but she didn’t ask. And in another week, she would be starting a position as a digital marketing associate for a public relations firm. By law, she wasn’t required to disclose her pregnancy, but she did nonetheless, and it hadn’t negatively impacted her chances.

She was showing now, which made it all the more real. As she was getting dressed, she caught a glimpse of her body in the mirror and was suddenly struck by the miracle of it all. She ran her hand over her swollen belly. “Hi, baby. It’s your mama,” she said, feeling a little bit silly. But then she felt something. It was like a flutter—a brand-new sensation she couldn’t describe exactly. Then she realized it was a kick. Was her baby responding to her voice? Tears sprang to Annabelle’s eyes, and for the first time since learning the news, she felt a connection to her unborn child. She used to think those moms who read to their stomachs were goofy, but now she realized there might be something to it. She picked up her phone, ready to dial her mother—an instinct that still hadn’t died—but then her elation deflated. It wasn’t fair. This should be a joyous time to be shared with her mother. She sighed and texted Randy instead.

They’re delivering the crib this afternoon. I have class so making sure you’re still going to be home from one to four. I’ve got a lab today, so I won’t get home till closer to 5.

He texted that he’d be there. She got dressed and was about to head to the door when she got a text from James.

I packed your lunch last night when I stopped over. It’s in the fridge. Candy bars from the vending machine don’t cut it!

Annabelle laughed and went to the kitchen to retrieve the brown paper bag with her name and a smiley face on it. She did need to pay more attention to her nutrition. The prenatal vitamins were not enough on their own.

After her morning classes, she ate her lunch and then decided to take a walk around campus before her afternoon lab. It was a gorgeous May day and she breathed deeply, enjoying the sensation of the sun on her face. It was hard to believe that in a little more than three months, the baby would be here. She needed to start interviewing nannies. She and Randy had decided to wait to find out the sex. People kept asking her what she hoped it was. She thought that was the silliest question; she was going to love this child no matter what it was.

She was about to go back inside when her phone lit up with a text from the university. Her afternoon class and lab was canceled. This was a nice surprise. Now she could be there to make sure the crib was set up properly and didn’t have any damage. Even though she’d asked Randy to make sure, she knew he wouldn’t be as careful about it as she would. She walked to her car and drove home.

Annabelle called out to Randy when she walked into the hallway, but he didn’t answer. She could hear music coming from upstairs. She called his name again as she climbed the stairs to their bedroom.

“Randy?”