When the Perfect Life Crumbles

etending to be asleep

a baby, wrapped

eful construction

y, approaching the bed. "Look.

baby out f

, healthy-l

ing certainty, this was not the ch

Jessica

tered into a

am, to rage, to

settled over me. I had

," I managed, my vo

just like you around the

very wor

aby in a bassin

his expression full of fake concern. He held up a smoothie. "I ha

erilit

take away my future, my abil

or Je

moothie, then at

f the lovi

e' d know I sus

to dri

han," I said,

up, holding the

sweet. Each sip felt l

e drink ever

g my hand. "Now get some res

, taking the emp

later, the p

postpartum recovery

ripped my abdomen,

bleeding

call button,

with the same

changed

amined me, hi

s. Hayes," he said, his voice devoid of genuine symp

the unspoken word

d my shoulders, his tou

than asked, his voice l

with pity that felt rehearsed, "it's highly

even though I knew

vers

ose, murmuring w

. We have Anson.

only

future children, but for the child I had already lost, a

as nothing compared to