Page 107 of The Unwanted Wife

His words brought tears to my eyes. That’s so Nathan. He cares for me so much. And he’s not doing any of this as a way to push me into coming around. I mean, obviously, that’s what he wants, but he’s doing this because he really wants to take care of me. He’s the kind of guy who’ll stand by the ones he loves. Who’ll do anything for his family and friends. It’s why he blames himself for what happened to Ben. My phone buzzes.

I look at the message. It’s not from Ben. I know I’ll never hear from him again, and that’s bittersweet. It’s still difficult for me to believe he’s gone but I’m beginning to accept it. Probably because I’ve lived with this reality for a year. Somewhere inside of me, I think I knew he wasn’t coming back. Subconsciously, I’ve had time to absorb it. Maybe that’s why I didn’t fall apart completely again? Or maybe, I’m waiting for the opportunity to do so.

"Who’s the message from?" Grace manages to tear her gaze away from the C!itasaurus long enough to ask.

"Hugo." I smile. "He’s been experimenting with his new menu."

"New menu?" Zoey’s voice is surprised. "He’s cooking again?"

"And how." I show her the picture of the dish he texted me.

"That looks delicious." Summer smiles.

"What is it?" Imelda peers at the screen. "Is that an omelet?"

I cough, then take a drink of water before nodding at the screen. "A crab and asparagus omelet, with cherry tomatoes and rocket leaves, drizzled with balsamic glaze on the side."

Imelda whistles. "Fancy-schmancy!"

Another message comes through, and I read it out loud, "I’d love to cook for you and your book club one day soon."

"Oh, that would be great," Grace exclaims.

"He’s been wanting to meet the rest of the Spicy booktokers." I laugh. That’s the name we’ve given ourselves.

"I’d love that." Imelda nods.

"Me, too," Summer chimes in.

"Maybe we can meet him next week?" When my friends nod in assent, I text him back.

Hugo: *smile emoji* *smile emoji* I’ll plan the menu right away

"He can’t wait." I laugh and set the phone aside.

"So he’s doing well?" Grace finally reaches for a C!itasauraus and stares at it with reverence.

"He’s improving so much. I hardly recognize him. It’s amazing what the right care and medication will do." I take a sip of my tea.

"It was Nate who found the facility for him, right?" Imelda brushes the crumbs off her fingers.

I nod. We should be exchanging opinions on the last book we read, but really, we found that we got along so well, the weekly meetings have become more of an excuse to catch up on each other’s lives. The very first Friday after he left, I met all of them, and before I knew it, I’d shared the entire story with them. It was such a relief, too. It felt like a weight had lifted, especially when Grace, Imelda, and Summer empathized with me. There wasn’t any judgement. Which is what I’d worried about. Zoey looked at me with an I-told-you-so expression, to which I rolled my eyes.

It gives me a warm feeling to realize I’ve found my tribe. Friends who have my back. A bakery that’s doing well enough that I’m already thinking of expanding. And Hugo’s on the mend. If only I had a chance to share his progress and that of my business with my husband. I do miss him. Don’t get me wrong; I love my friends. But it’s not the same as having my man by my side. A shiver grips me, and I sneeze.

"Skye?" Imelda touches my shoulder. "You okay?"

"Yes, of course." I reach for a tissue and blow my nose. "I seem to be coming down with a cold, is all. And yes, it was Nate who found the facility for him." And it was Nate who helped me turn around my business. Nate who revealed the truth of what happened to Ben. My husband may not be here in person, but he’s infiltrated every part of my life.

"You miss him," Imelda murmurs.

I glance around to find the other women watching me. "I thought I wouldn’t. No, that’s not correct. I knew I would, but I didn’t think it would be to this extent." I sniffle, then blow my nose into the tissue again. Ugh, I really am coming down with a cold. At least, I hope it’s a cold and not a flu. I can’t afford to get sick—not now, when I still need the new team to settle in. I have a new person behind the counter, and two new people who help fulfill deliveries within a five- mile radius of the bakery. And in addition to a social media manager, I have an advertising manager, as well as an accountant. I’ve gone from a one-woman operation to a small business unit employing six additional people, in a matter of weeks.

"Oh, honey, your cold seems to be getting worse." Zoey clicks her tongue. "Have you been taking your vitamins?"

Nope. I’ve been rushing around trying to keep busy, trying not to think of my husband. In the process, I seem to have forgotten to do basic self-care stuff, like take my daily vitamins, or work out, or eat healthy… For that matter, I probably wouldn’t be eating at all if it weren’t for my sweet, thoughtful husband. Who I miss.

"You’ve been working too hard." Grace’s forehead wrinkles.

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