Page 2 of Taking What Was His

Jayden glanced up at Beth but then talked after she nudged him.

“I am so sorry for your loss, Mrs. Parker.”

“Thank you, Jayden.”

Jayden looked up at his mom, hopefully.

She smiled. “Go find Charlie.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

Beth turned back to Marla and felt her own eyes sting. She grabbed a chair and brought it as close to Marla’s as she could and then reached for her hands. They sat like that for a long moment.

“What am I going to do?”

Beth squeezed her hand. “You’re going to take one step at a time as I did, and you’re going to have me there with you for every one of them.”

“It hurts so bad,” she cried.

“I know. All I can say is it gets less intense as time goes on.”

“I don’t think I’ll survive.”

Beth bit back a smile. “You will. It might not feel like it right now, but you’re going to make it.”

“Maybe if we had children...”

Beth shook her head. “It brought its own stresses to the situation and made it harder, I thought. You not only have to deal with your own grief, but your child’s also.”

“I didn’t think of that,” Marla admitted. “Oh, hell.”

She looked at where Marla was staring and sighed when she saw Maggie, Marla’s older sister, headed their way.

“Well, hello, if it isn’t our beautiful Beth.”

Beth’s stomach cramped. She didn’t like confrontations of any kind, and she especially didn’t like them with this woman. She knew she’d never done anything to deserve the sarcastic, biting attitude Maggie gave her every time she saw her.

“It’s always good to see you, Maggie. How have you been?”

“Always wonderful.” Maggie turned to her sister. “How’s little Marla doing?”

She squeezed Marla’s hand. Her sister liked to stir the pot and ruffle feathers.

“I don’t think this is the time for that, Maggie,” Beth said.

Maggie narrowed her eyes at Beth. “Not your call. This is a family matter.”

Beth tried not to roll her eyes. This had been going on since high school, Maggie had it in for her, and she never could figure out why. Marla had told her she thought it was pure jealousy, but Beth didn’t know if that was true or not.

Marla was pretty with long brown hair and eyes. She was curvy without looking overweight. Her sister, Maggie, had always had to deal with her weight. When the woman gained, it went to her hips, ass, and thighs. Since she was a few inches over five feet, it showed more than someone taller.

Beth had been born into an Italian family with a little Irish thrown in. She was always slim, though she admitted she had to work for it. Four inches over five feet, she had the unusual green-blue eyes that stood out against her Italian skin. Add to that her long black hair that hung to the middle of her back. She knew she was attractive, and although she never asked for it or even liked it, she always got attention even when she didn’t want it.

“You’re right, Maggie.” She turned to Marla. “I’ll be in the kitchen.”

“Wait,” Marla cried out.

Beth patted her shoulder. “I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”