the door, crumbling in a heap on the floor.
She could deal with everything else—the raunchy jokes about Nikki and Eric using the sex toys, the infuriating knowledge that her ex-husband was apparently much more attentive in bed with his new wife than he had ever been with her—but not this. News that Eric would be a father, after all the years of her trying and never being able to carry a pregnancy to term, was too much for her emotionally-drained mind to withstand.
Jada hugged her arms around her waist, unable to stop the pain radiating from her womb.
It was just so incredibly unfair. Hadn’t she been through enough this past year? The total annihilation of her marriage, losing her job, having to give up her home and the life she knew. And now this?
How many times had she dreamed of lying in a hospital bed cradling Eric’s child in her arms while he stood at her side, the proud, boasting new father? She’d come close twice, but her dream never made it past the first trimester. Now Eric would get his baby, and she would be left with nothing. It had become a sad, reoccurring commentary over the past year.
Jada forced herself to stand. She splashed water on her face, patting it dry with a hand towel. She stared at herself in the mirror for several more moments. She wanted to make sure there were no lingering signs of her mental breakdown.
When she returned to the den, many of the party attendees were packing up and preparing to leave.
Monique walked up to her, order forms in hand. “I have some orders, but others took down the website so they can go over the products with their husbands. I passed out the business cards with your consultant number to be sure you get the commission.”
“Thanks,” Jada said. “And thanks again for hosting a party. If you know of any other friends or colleagues who may want to host one, give them my card. I’m more than willing to travel outside of Maplesville.”
“I will,” Monique said. She bit her bottom lip, and in a lowered voice, said, “And I’m sorry about Nikki. I swear I had no idea.”
Jada waved off her concern. “Don’t worry about it. Really, it’s fine.”
“You’re more understanding than I would be,” Monique said. “My sister said the rumor around the office is that Nikki was dating her husband before he was even divorced.”
“The rumor would be true,” Jada said. “Which makes me the luckiest one of the three, don’t you think?” She smiled and went over to pack up her travel bag.
By the time she rolled the suitcase out to her car and loaded it in the trunk, Jada felt as if she would crack into a million pieces with just the slightest touch. Tonight had just been too much !
She waved goodbye to Monique and backed out of the driveway. The tears started flowing down her cheeks before she reached the stop sign at the head of the street, and by the time she drove onto the highway the torrent was coming so fiercely that she had to drive one-handed, the other too busy wiping away tears.
She cried until her chest hurt. She cried like she had not cried in over a year, since the night Eric had given her an ultimatum after they’d made love: either allow him to see the woman he had been sleeping with behind her back, or give him a divorce. She cried as much as she’d cried both times she’d received the crushing news from the ultrasound technician, telling her there was no heartbeat.
Gripping the steering wheel with both hands, she cried until her throat was raw with it. She’d remained strong as long as she could; she was due this cry.
Her car jerked and sputtered, then started to lose acceleration.
“What the…” Jada wiped her face and looked at the dash. “Oh, God. No,” she moaned.
The car jerked again.
“Dammit!” She banged her fist on the steering wheel before guiding the car to the shoulder of the highway.
She was out of gas.
She folded her hands on the crest of the steering wheel and dropped her head on it. How else had
She could deal with everything else—the raunchy jokes about Nikki and Eric using the sex toys, the infuriating knowledge that her ex-husband was apparently much more attentive in bed with his new wife than he had ever been with her—but not this. News that Eric would be a father, after all the years of her trying and never being able to carry a pregnancy to term, was too much for her emotionally-drained mind to withstand.
Jada hugged her arms around her waist, unable to stop the pain radiating from her womb.
It was just so incredibly unfair. Hadn’t she been through enough this past year? The total annihilation of her marriage, losing her job, having to give up her home and the life she knew. And now this?
How many times had she dreamed of lying in a hospital bed cradling Eric’s child in her arms while he stood at her side, the proud, boasting new father? She’d come close twice, but her dream never made it past the first trimester. Now Eric would get his baby, and she would be left with nothing. It had become a sad, reoccurring commentary over the past year.
Jada forced herself to stand. She splashed water on her face, patting it dry with a hand towel. She stared at herself in the mirror for several more moments. She wanted to make sure there were no lingering signs of her mental breakdown.
When she returned to the den, many of the party attendees were packing up and preparing to leave.
Monique walked up to her, order forms in hand. “I have some orders, but others took down the website so they can go over the products with their husbands. I passed out the business cards with your consultant number to be sure you get the commission.”
“Thanks,” Jada said. “And thanks again for hosting a party. If you know of any other friends or colleagues who may want to host one, give them my card. I’m more than willing to travel outside of Maplesville.”
“I will,” Monique said. She bit her bottom lip, and in a lowered voice, said, “And I’m sorry about Nikki. I swear I had no idea.”
Jada waved off her concern. “Don’t worry about it. Really, it’s fine.”
“You’re more understanding than I would be,” Monique said. “My sister said the rumor around the office is that Nikki was dating her husband before he was even divorced.”
“The rumor would be true,” Jada said. “Which makes me the luckiest one of the three, don’t you think?” She smiled and went over to pack up her travel bag.
By the time she rolled the suitcase out to her car and loaded it in the trunk, Jada felt as if she would crack into a million pieces with just the slightest touch. Tonight had just been too much !
She waved goodbye to Monique and backed out of the driveway. The tears started flowing down her cheeks before she reached the stop sign at the head of the street, and by the time she drove onto the highway the torrent was coming so fiercely that she had to drive one-handed, the other too busy wiping away tears.
She cried until her chest hurt. She cried like she had not cried in over a year, since the night Eric had given her an ultimatum after they’d made love: either allow him to see the woman he had been sleeping with behind her back, or give him a divorce. She cried as much as she’d cried both times she’d received the crushing news from the ultrasound technician, telling her there was no heartbeat.
Gripping the steering wheel with both hands, she cried until her throat was raw with it. She’d remained strong as long as she could; she was due this cry.
Her car jerked and sputtered, then started to lose acceleration.
“What the…” Jada wiped her face and looked at the dash. “Oh, God. No,” she moaned.
The car jerked again.
“Dammit!” She banged her fist on the steering wheel before guiding the car to the shoulder of the highway.
She was out of gas.
She folded her hands on the crest of the steering wheel and dropped her head on it. How else had
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