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I’m going to take a break from the writing for a few hours and recharge my creative batteries. I’ve written 4,463 words in the past twelve hours (that’s nearly 13 pages!!) and I’m going cross-eyed. I’ll resume the story later. Stay tuned!
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“You’re what?!” Alecia couldn’t believe her ears. “You’re not seriously going to slap that on the guy, after all this time? After all he’s been through?”
“I’ve waited long enough,” Jessie said in a hard, even tone of voice. “I have to move on. We don’t even know each other any more…”
“You knew life would be like this when you married him.”
“But I never thought he’d actually GO into the army!” Jessie yelled back.
Alecia snapped to attention at Jessie’s bitter words and noticed, for the first time, they were standing in the middle of the airport airing their very dirty laundry. People were slowing in the hopes of witnessing more theatrics. She took her sister-in-law by the elbow and escorted her back toward her seat.
Jessie jerked her elbow from Alecia’s grip and marched to stand in front of the large window. Margie could be seen just outside, trying to distract a tired Lisa.
“She always liked you more, you know.” Jessie said, her voice sounding wistful.
“That’s because I haven’t gone out of my way to antagonize the woman.”
“No,” Jessie said slowly, her eyes still trained on the woman and child. “It’s because you didn’t lose YOUR baby.”
Alecia sighed and resisted the urge to rub her eyes. They had had this conversation at least a hundred times in the past year. Jessie was six weeks pregnant when she miscarried. The doctors weren’t able to give them a reason for why it happened, it just happened. Jessie had never been the same afterwards.
“Jessie,” she began slowly. “At the risk of sounding harsh, you have to get over that. It happened nearly thirteen months ago. It wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t Pierce’s fault …”
Jessie held up a hand. “Stop right there.” She turned to look at Alecia. “It was certainly Pierce’s fault.”
Alecia blinked. “What? What are you talking about?”
“He beat me.”
Alecia felt like laughing, though this was no laughing matter. “Jessie,” she began.
“You don’t know what he’s like to live with!” Jessie spat. “He’s moody, and unpredictable and …”
Alecia placed an arm around Jessie’s shoulders. “We’ve talked about this, Jessie. He slapped you once and that was because you provoked him. I was there, remember? I saw the whole thing. Sure, he shouldn’t have hit you, but he’s human and you really did push him over the line.”
“But I was pregnant,” she began weakly.
“And that slap had nothing to do with why you lost that baby, Jessie. You’re just looking for someone to blame.”
She sighed and her shoulders slumped. “I had such high hopes for us, Alecia.”
“So, what’s changed?”
“Us. Me.” She said helplessly. “I needed him. He wasn’t there.”
“He wanted to be.”
Jessie dabbed a finger under her eyelid to mop up the moisture. She was careful not to smear her makeup. “We’re not like you guys. We’ve always had to work at our relationship …”
“And we haven’t?” Alecia chuckled dryly. “Jessie, we’re not perfect. I used to be such a mouse when Carter and I first got married.” She shook her head at the memory. “I think Carter was first attracted to the fact that I was helpless. He could help me, he felt like a hero. And to me, he was. But then he got shipped out, and I got pregnant …” She sighed. “There’s nothing like having a baby to make you grow a backbone, let me tell you.”
“I’ve been lonely,” Jessie began as way of an explanation.
“That’s rather insulting to insinuate that I haven’t been, Jessie. Take your loneliness and times it by two.” She thumped her chest and then pointed to her baby.
Margie and Lisa were heading back inside.
Jessie sniffed and glanced at her watch. “Shouldn’t they have arrived by now?
“Carter said they were delayed and — ”
“You heard from Carter? When? Was Pierce with him?”
Alecia blinked at Jessie’s rapid fire questions. “Uh … yeah, I talked to Carter about twenty minutes ago. They’re on their way now. He said something about some storms slowing them down …” she paused and gave Jessie a long look. “You haven’t heard from Pierce?”
“And why should she?” Margie snapped from behind them. “She lost the right to talk to my son a long time ago.”
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