Page 57 of Embattled Ever After

Dropping the groceries beside the fridge, she headed to the bedroom to change, then padded back out to put things away. For dinner that night she created some kind of stir-fry with packaged chicken and broccoli and rice. Wasn’t too bad. A little bland.

Once her tummy was full her eyelids began to get heavier, so with a final glass of water, she headed to bed and well-needed sleep.

Alex wasn’t sure what woke her. She turned her head to look at the alarm clock. Three fifteen a.m. A cramp twisted her stomach, hard enough to make her gasp, and she sat up in bed.

There was a wash of fluid between her thighs, and her breath stalled in her throat. For a timeless moment, everything stilled. Oh, God.No. Reaching for the bedside lamp, she snapped it on. In spite of herself, she cried out when she saw the blood on the sheets. Pushing up with her arms she lunged out of bed and to the bathroom.

She steamed in the shower, watching the water around the drain turn pink. In her heart, she knew the pregnancy was over. There was too much blood for it to still be viable. When she left the shower she called the answering service of her ob/gyn. Dr. Tripiti agreed to meet her at his office, though it was hours before regular office hours.

Oh, the perks of professional courtesy.

Alex walked into the office knowing she would not have the chance to be a mother in the near future, and, with a kind smile, Dr. Tripiti confirmed her supposition.

“I’m sorry,” the man told her softly. “We knew this was a possibility, though. Pregnancies conceived with an IUD in the cervix are always higher risk.”

Alex nodded, staring at the wadded tissues in her hands. Yes, they’d gone over that. There’d been that tiny, flickering, hopeful spark though…

The doctor cautioned her to continue to take the iron pills he had prescribed her, but that she could return to normal activity when she felt up to it. The bleeding had almost stopped now, she could tell. And the cramps had stopped. That made her the saddest because it meant her body was done expelling the tiny life it had housed for such a short time.

The taxi dropped her off in front of her apartment building and she didn’t want to go in. It had begun to flurry snow and she was already shuddering with cold. Letting herself into the apartment, she avoided looking at her bedroom, but it couldn’t be avoided forever. Finally, she walked into the room and surveyed the mess. As a doctor, she knew she had lost a lot of blood. Even now weariness dragged at her and she needed to sleep, but she couldn’t sleep here. As she bundled the sheets in her arms, then the mattress pad, sobs shook her body. Stuffing everything into the washer with bleach and extra soap, she slammed the door and poked at buttons, her emotions shredded.

She would have to replace the mattress tomorrow, but for tonight she threw a couple of towels over the stains. The bathroom was an easier cleanup, but still gruesome and heartrending.

Heading back out to the couch, she fell into an exhausted heap, dragging a throw over top of her shuddering self. She wished she had arms to wrap around her.

***

Chapter Eighteen

Shannon looked upwhen Lora slid into the chair across from her. Ember joined them just a few minutes later, sliding in beside Shannon in the booth to give her a hug.

“You look good. Willow is parking now.”

Nodding, Shannon took a sip of her lemon water. “Hope you don’t mind Mexican. I started craving this place recently.”

The Mexican restaurant was just a few blocks from the LNF office, which made it a popular stop for the guys as well. John had gotten her hooked on it within months of their dating.

“I don’t mind it at all,” Ember admitted. “Anything other than our own food.”

Lora gave her a sharp glance. “I love your food. You better not change anything on the new menu. It’s all delicious.”

Ember blushed a little and it looked very becoming on her creamy skin. “Really? I wasn’t sure about some of the new, healthier items, but they seem to be selling really well.”

Lora nodded. “I knew they would.”

Willow walked into the restaurant, her skin flushed and dark hair flying around her face as she whipped off her toboggan. She crossed the room more easily than one would expect, considering she was eight months pregnant. She slid into the booth and Shannon could see the table was almost against her belly. She tugged on the wood and it slid closer, giving Willow a couple of extra inches.

“That’s much better, thank you,” she sighed. “Have you been waiting long?”

They all shook their heads and Shannon was struck with how much she truly enjoyed all of these women. They were her friends for many reasons, not the least of which that they loved incredibly diverse men.

A waiter stopped at the table to drop off a basket of chips and two bowls of salsa and take drink orders. Once he left, Willow grinned at Shannon. “How are you feeling?”

With a grimace, Shannon shook her head. “Like aliens have invaded my body. Nothing is the same as it was before.”

The three other women nodded, smiling. “And it will only get better as the pregnancy progresses,” Ember told her with a grin.

“That’s what I’ve heard. I’m trying to get everything planned out, but my brain is completely muddled with little tiny things. It’s driving me nuts. I’m normally on the ball with things, but I feel like there’s so much to deal with that I can’t just pick one thing to worry about.”

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