Iris POVPregnancy Test Result: Single Live Intrauterine PregnancySpecies Test: 99% Probability HumanAlone in the doctor’s office while she got me some medicine, I read the simple lines of text several times before they truly made sense.I was carrying a child.I looked at the second line again, a
Iris POVI waited for an answer, but Arthur just looked at me, his expression going from cold to unreadable. I was going to insist he say something when someone knocked loudly on our door. Arthur turned and opened the door wide, smiling his professional smile as several people came through.I recogn
Iris POV“What?” I asked, though I wasn’t any more shocked than I had been before opening the door.Life had lost its context. This was just something on top of what had already occurred.“May I come in?” she asked even as she strode past me with a whip of blond hair and whiff of expensive perfume.
Iris POVMy friend and former senior classmate Brian Eldridge was standing there in a tuxedo, his salt-and-pepper hair, which was usually a sort of disheveled halo around his head, had been neatly combed, and his typically paint-smeared hands were clean and with shiny, recently manicured nails.“Bri
Arthur POVI woke up in my office lounge, my neck stuck to the leather and my whole body cold. My mouth tasted like stale champagne and way too much small talk.A gentle knock on my office door got me sitting up on the couch. “Come,” I said.My assistant, a solid beta named Jose, entered my office a
IrisFive years have gone by since that fated day. Five years, and hardly a day has passed that I haven’t thought about it, about the pain that I felt in my chest I drove away from that house and the way my tears blurred the streetlights all around me.But life goes on.It’s been two years since I l
IrisArthur looks like he’s about to explode in the subtlest way possible. You would think that after five years apart I wouldn’t be able to see his telltale signs of frustration, but I can still locate the infinitesimal twitch of his jaw like I can locate the freckle on the back of my left hand.“Y
IrisThe kiss is warm, familiar, and entirely consuming.And for a brief, fleeting moment, I nearly fall into the abyss of it all—the way his lips mold so perfectly to mine, the press of his hands against my waist in the spots where they once fit like puzzle pieces, the rough thrust of his tongue on
The interviewer takes notes, then turns to me. “And now you’re raising your son together. How has that transition been?”“It’s been wonderful having Arthur in Miles’ life,” I manage. “Miles adores him.”“I imagine it must be quite the adjustment, suddenly being thrust into the public eye as the Alph
IrisMy hair is swept into an elegant updo, not a strand out of place. My makeup is flawless but subdued, emphasizing my cheekbones and brightening my eyes without looking too dramatic. The dress is a conservative knee-length sheath in navy blue, with a matching blazer that nips in at the waist.The
“What do you mean?”“I’ve arranged a photoshoot and interview. For both of us.”I blink at him, stunned. “A photoshoot? You mean... like for a magazine?” My mind flits back to all of the magazine covers with Arthur and Selina—the perfect poses, the pretty smiles, the flawless makeup.Arthur nods. “A
IrisI scrub the serving dish harder than I should, hardly even noticing as the scrubber leaves scratch marks in the ceramic.The dinner was a disaster. Not just the burnt roast—although that certainly didn’t help—but the whole evening. Leonard and Wendy might as well have worn signs around their ne
Mother scoffs. “I’m not impressed. Maybe if she weren’t so preoccupied with that hobby of hers, she could actually focus on what’s important: her family.”“Painting isn’t a hobby,” I counter. “It’s her profession. And she’s damn good at it. You saw her work.”Father scoffs. “It’s derivative at best.
Iris & ArthurIrisAn awkward silence falls over the table. I shift uncomfortably. The only sound is that of the kitten racing around in the other room, playing with a bottle cap. Wendy glances at the cat with a wrinkled nose but says nothing.Arthur clears his throat and offers me a grin. “Everythi
Emi, who has been stationed in the apartment hallway on alternate shifts with another security guard every day since the debut, has already let our guests in by the time I walk into the entryway.Arthur steps in, looking handsome in a casual sweater and slacks. Behind him are Leonard and Wendy.“Wel
IrisI stand back, wiping my hands on my already paint-stained overalls, and tilt my head to examine the finished piece.It’s vibrant. Alive. The central image depicts a framed dent in a kitchen wall, cracks spider-webbing outward. Yellow sunshine spills across the scene, dust motes floating in the
He shrugs and goes to pick up the glass again. “It’s just how it is.”I shake my head and move the glass out of his way. “No more of this tonight. You’ve had enough.”Arthur pouts, actually pouts, which confirms my suspicion that he’s drunker than he’s letting on. “But how will I sleep?”The questio