Christina got home to an even more somber atmosphere than the one that she had left behind earlier that day. Mr Carter was seated in Austin's living room, looking much older than he had ever looked, and Austin was sitting beside him. “Hey guys… What’s going on?” Christina asked, her heart pounding
To Christina's utter surprise, Mr. Carter's facial expression did not change after she delivered what she had assumed would be stupendous news. Was Gerald really that important ... even more than the great-grandchildren that Mr. Carter had longed for all his life? As for Austin, the expression on
The knock on the door of Sally's room came for the seventh time, and finally, she dragged herself off her bed and went to open the door. Nora was standing there with Jimmy by her side, her hand poised to knock yet again."Ah, there you are. I thought I was going to have to break down the door or som
“Hmmm. That’s a pile of crap. All he has to do is heal, and he’ll love again and be happy.” “I thought so too, but he’s convinced, and when I tried to change his mind, by telling him how much I love him, and how I’m willing to stay with him and help him sort through and deal with his demons, he clo
“Oh no! Don’t say that! You just can’t be pregnant. You and Sean always used protection, didn’t you?” Nora asked. “We did … Until we didn’t. You know I have an IUD, and since we were seeing each other exclusively and had gotten tested, we didn’t see the need to use condoms or pills and stuff like t
It was almost as though Austin and Mr. Carter were now newfound besties. Although Austin had forbidden Christina from frequenting his own side of the mansion and she had had no choice but to abide by his orders because of her desperation, now that Mr. Carter was in the house, she came over to Austin
Hearing someone talk about death so casually, almost as though he were welcoming it, weirded him out. “Okay, okay. I get it, but how about we talk about other things that are not as morbid?” Austin deadpanned. “Like what? What kind of flowers I’d like at my funeral? Alright, alright. I’ll stop tal
Bright and early the next morning, Christina brought her already packed bag downstairs when she was certain that Mr. Carter and Austin would be eating breakfast. Since the old man arrived, Austin had taken a break from work, so he was at home more often than not. As she had predicted, they were ha
“You’re here again.” She states, rolling her eyes without so much as a good morning when she opens the door and sees me standing there. “Good morning to you too. Yes, I’m indeed here again. How are you doing?” I ask her, resolving not to let her hostility get to me. She has every reason to be hosti
I have not been to Nora's apartment for several months since Sally disappeared. In the first month of Sally's disappearance, I used to come here a lot, so much so that I’m sure that I must have begun to look like a desperate creep to Nora. Each time I came here back then, I would plead and plead wi
“No! I want to go with you and Aunt Sally!” He protests angrily when he sees the nanny and realizes that I’m about to leave him with her. “Honey, you must be very tired from running up and down with me these past few days. That is why I want your nanny to take you home so you can rest. Besides, you
SEAN Somehow, Sally allows herself to be convinced to come back home with me, which as even her doctor agrees, is the best decision for her right now because she needs all the help that she can get. We’ve finally been able to reach Nora and Austin, who have arrived at their honeymoon destination a
SALLY I can tell that Sean is surprised at my blunt tone and sharp words, but I couldn’t care less. I vaguely remember how I had pleaded with my boss to get in touch with him after she told me that she could not reach Nora and Austin no matter how many times she tried to reach them. I had been ter
The small bundle feels incredibly light as the nurse places it in my arms. Every single iota of sleep flees from my eyes as I hold and look down at my daughter. The nurse helps me adjust the baby in my arms while smiling at me in approval. Immense love for this tiny human floods my entire being and
I smile unsurely at the doctor, certain that I must have misheard what she just said. She doesn't smile back but instead continues to stare back at me with a measured look that says that she's not messing around. “I'm sorry but I'm not sure what you're talking about. What do you mean by expectant f
SEAN I have to admit that I am not thinking straight, but I'll blame that on the lack of sleep and the thought of seeing sadly again after all these months. Sally is lying on a bed in a very tiny room and she's being placed on oxygen. She looks so small and defenseless in the hospital bed. I appr
“There has been an emergency involving Sally and she's requesting for you.” A female voice had said over the phone mere seconds ago. “Is she OK? What's wrong with her? Where is she?” I ask in quick succession without waiting for an answer to each question. Taking deep breaths, I remind myself to be