Luna pressed a hand to her stomach as she stared at Dr. Gina.“Are you sure?” she asked, hoping the answer would be different the second time around.But Dr. Gina just shook her head sadly. “I’m sorry, Luna, but it would be dangerous for you to go ahead with the insemination process right now. Your cervix is looking weaker than it was the last time you were here, and the situation’s just too delicate right now. I only have your best interest at heart.”Luna exhaled a breath, she raised a hand to wave away the other woman’s sympathy and worries.“I know, Gina, I know,” she replied. “I just,” she shook her head, disappointment sagging her shoulders, “I was looking forward to this, you know?”Gina gave her friend a sympathetic look. “I know,” she said softly.“I really thought this was it, that this would finally be it. The time where I got to have my baby, safe and healthy, and alive. But now you’re saying if I go ahead and do this now, I might not carry the baby to term, is that
Luna navigated the car through the rocky road leading to the memorial ground. After her meeting with Gina, Luna needed to talk to someone, she needed to talk with someone she could tell her feelings to, her fears, her worries. She needed to sort through her feelings, like Gina had advised, and she needed to feel that special connection that came with talking to a person she trusted and loved the most in the entire world. And the person she was going to see had all these qualities in him. All of it, and more.Luna drove up to the iron gates closing the memorial ground from the outside world, the gates slid open as she drove up. She drove through them and up the also rocky paths leading to the cemetery.Rows and rows of tombstones lined up in an arranged order as Luna drove past, Luna glanced at the names on the tombstones as she always did whenever she came to the memorial ground.Lisa Hackney III (the third), Jaime Crow Sullivan, Kira Langdon, Larry Samuels II (the second). and as
I’m sad because I’m not getting to have my baby,” Luna continued, her eyes already watering as she talked. “I just came from Dr. Gina, and she said how I was going to have to wait for a while before I can start the insemination process.”Luna sat down on the cemented ground around her father’s grave, she continued stroking his grave.“She said it was most likely stress that caused the delay, emotional stress,” Luna swallowed. “And I know the cause of the stress.”Luna fell silent as she stared at her father’s tombstone. She remembered the last six months before his death. She remembered the toll his thoughts and guilt had taken on him. His thoughts about how he could pay off the debts he’d owed the Lakes, and his guilt at having to ship off his first daughter to the same family to be married as collateral for not paying off his debts.Luna remembered all, and that was why she couldn’t even say his name in front of her dad now. Her dad hadn’t so much said the words before he died,
“I am so sorry that I had to call you like that, I know you were with your dad, I hated having to pull you out of your time with him.”Luna turned her head to look at Rita, they were both walking towards the conference room.“You had to,” Luna said. “We both know letting this circulate any longer than it already has, and the results would be even more disastrous than it already is.”Rita nodded, the two women both walked briskly through the hallway that led to the conference room, Jaden trailing behind them.“I know, I know,” Rita said again, letting out a breath, “That doesn’t make it easier to accept.”Luna placed a hand on Rita’s arm, she gave her a small smile.“It’s all good,” she said, reassuring Rita. “I got to have my time with him before your call came in, I’m fine.”“That’s a relief then,” Rita said.They got to the conference room, through the square opening in the door of the room, Luna could see that the press was already in full force in there. About a dozen of t
Luna waited until her mother had put on her favorite baking music, ‘Dear Future Husband by Meghan Trainor’, before dropping the bomb on her. “Moira Lake invited me to a party,” she paused for two seconds, “and I’m going.” The fast intro beat of the music rolled in comically at that very same moment. Mira Jones turned slowly to look at her daughter. “What?” she asked softly. Luna swallowed as she stared at her mother. She knew her mother was softhearted and calm most of the time, which made her weary of her on the few times she wasn’t either of those things. And Luna had a feeling this moment would be one of those times. “Moira Lake invited me to a party,” Luna said again, “and I’m going. Not because I want to, but because I have to.” “Why?” Mira asked, exasperation in her tone. Luna turned back to what they were doing, they were in her mother’s kitchen in her home. They were baking, an activity that they both enjoyed doing together, and that they did at least once
“Ready?”Luna smoothed her hand down her gown, she stared ahead at the hall where Moira’s ‘party’ was being held. She knew what the party was really all about, she knew ‘party’ was just a fancy word Moira had used to disguise what it really was. A slaughterhouse for her.Not slaughter as in kill, but slaughter as in chipping away at Luna’s essence with biting words. Luna knew the night was going to be one of the most tedious nights of her life, which was why she had brought a friend with her.Luna took in a deep breath, she kept her gaze on the hall’s blinking lights ahead as she responded to Rita beside her.“Like I was born to it.”“Attagirl,” Rita muttered underneath her breath, but Luna heard it.As if of one mind, the two women started walking towards the hall.“I’m starting to rethink this grand entrance thing,” Luna muttered to Rita as they neared the hall.“Too late, honey, that dress you’re wearing is a grand entrance dress,” her friend replied, “I made certain of it.
Luna closed her eyes as she recognized the voice to be Moira’s. Shit, she thought to herself. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, she thought repeatedly to herself.Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked at Rita for a few seconds before finally turning to face Moira. She was dressed as elegantly as always, and she looked as cold and vicious as Luna was starting to believe she was born to.“Speak of the devil, and she shall appear,” Rita leaned down to whisper in her ear.Luna watched as Moira’s gaze shifted to Rita, she watched as her icy blue eyes raked from the top of Rita’s head down to her toes. “You brought a,” Moira paused intentionally, “friend.”“I did,” Luna replied.There was silence for a bit after that, Moira didn’t offer her hand in greeting, Rita didn’t introduce herself. Finally, Moira smiled at Rita, her smile cracking at the corners a little bit from the force she applied to it.“What is your name, dear?” she asked.“Rita Heron,” Rita replied, she still didn’t st
“Wow,” Luna said as soon as Moira walked far enough away. “That was…. amazing.”Rita shrugged, she sipped her champagne. “Thanks.”“How did you do that?” Luna asked, staring at Rita like she was a mini goddess.“I speak bitch,” Rita replied, turning her head to look at Luna, she smiled at her friend. “I had lots of practice at my old job. When I realized those assholes at Crasters were not going to be letting up on me anytime soon seeing as I was the only woman in a male-dominated company, I had to get creative.”Luna placed a hand over Rita’s hand. She knew her friend so well, so she heard the concealed hurt and bitterness in her voice even though Rita’s words were said carelessly.“I know,” Luna said softly, “and I’m sorry you had to relive all that again because of Moira.”Rita smiled a little, it didn’t reach her eyes, she patted Luna’s hand reassuringly. “You have nothing to apologize for, Moira was the one who brought it up. And besides, I pulled out my guns first.”“Yeah