The entire room is still and silent.Thea, seemingly annoyed by our stunned reactions, snaps, “Did you hear me? I’m pregnant! Where’s my congratulations, Esther? Where’s the joy, Garnar? Don’t you want to be a dad again? Are our kids not good enough for you?”Garnar springs to life at once. He rushe
Rushing, though not speeding, I am somehow able to get the girls to school on time and myself to work one minute to nine. I still feel late. I like to be early, giving myself enough time to prepare for the day. It still bothers me about my phone. I have it password protected, how did my alarms get r
“Don’t gloat,” I snap. “Mom and Dad believe you. You could murder someone right in front of them and they’d still blame me. You can do no wrong. You won, alright? Just leave me alone.”Thea turns up her nose. “Don’t act all high and mighty, Esther. You are just jealous that I’m having Garnar’s baby.
“Did something happen?”“A lot of things,” I say. I listen closely, but I don’t hear any background noise behind him. Maybe he’s at home? Or is that too much to hope for? “Can we meet?”He doesn’t answer for a moment.Immediately, I feel like I’ve overstepped. “You know what? That’s a bad idea. I’m
Miles takes the paperwork off of his desk, straightens it, and then places it into one of the drawers.“You look stressed,” he says, eyes back on me. “I think you need a distraction before we talk.”“You can’t mean… here…” I say, disbelieving at first, but the fire in his eyes burns me from the insi
The couches in Miles’s office might look very flush, but it’s a ruse. The padding is hard as a rock. Even with the cushion of Miles around me, holding me as I rest against his chest, the parts of me that touch the cushion – my elbow, my thigh – might as well be sitting on concrete.We’re clothed eno
The next day at work, Kimberly calls me into my office as soon as I arrive. I hurry to leave my bag and coat at my desk and then do as she asks.“Congratulations,” she says when I come to stand in front of her desk. “That article you submitted about the rise in micro-plastics in our drinking water h
Besides, it wouldn’t be the first time I embarrassed myself in front of my father. This time feels different though, probably because we are already estranged.I hate fighting with my parents. I hate how Thea wedged so many divides into our family. They have always preferred Thea to me, but I was at