Page 78 of Like You Love Me

“Mona?”

Mona Lisa stepped out of the closet carrying two suits by the hangers. “Hi Bianca,” she said as she placed one across the bed, followed by the other.

“I’m getting ready to head back to work, but I wanted to check in on you before leaving. Is there anything I can do?” Bianca asked, stepping further into the room.

Mona had yet to look in her direction. Instead, she stared indecisively down at the bed. “What do you think? Which suit would be a good choice for Caleb?”

Bianca stepped closer to the bed and looked down at a black suit, and the other was blue.

“This is the blue suit he wore for our wedding.”

Bianca gave a reminiscent smile. “Yes, I remember he looked so proud in his blue suit with the pink paisley pocket square.”

“Yes, he was,” Mona Lisa said with a smile. “I still remember walking down that aisle with my handsome brother by my side.”

Bianca nodded. “Caleb was already shouting ‘I do’ before you made it to the alter.”

“He did, didn’t he?” Mona Lisa gave a laugh that softened the sheen of tears clouding her eyes as she said, “I think the blue suit is the best choice.”

“I agree.” Bianca reached down for the other suit and returned it to the closet. When she stepped out, Mona Lisa was sitting on the bed, stroking the jacket’s lapel with her hand.

“Would you like me to pick out a shirt and tie?”

She shook her head. “No, I already know which ones I want him to wear.” Her voice was so soft that Bianca almost missed the words. She walked over and took the seat beside her.

“London told me someone came forward and confessed.”

Mona Lisa nodded. “Yes, a college student who’d been out drinking with her friends. Of course, it’s too late to get a toxicology report, but she claims Caleb staggered out into the road in front of her.”

“I’m so sorry.” Bianca reached over for the box of Kleenex. Mona Lisa took a few tissues and brought them to her nose.

“You know what bothers me most?” she managed between sniffles. “The last thing I said to him was I wish he was dead.”

Bianca’s eyes widen with alarm. “Oh no!”

“I was so mad! That man drained my finances and my brain….” She stopped and dragged in a long breath. “I didn’t tell anyone this, not even London, but Caleb called me while at the bar. It must have been before London punched him.” Mona Lisa drew another breath before continuing. “I am tired. I have spent the last few years loving that man. I gave him my heart and soul and helped him raise his baby. I tried to be everything I thought I was supposed to be as his wife, including making excuses for him.” Her shoulders deflated, and she looked so sad that Bianca reached over and placed a comforting hand on her forearm. “Until that day, Caleb never put his hands on me, but when he did, I knew we had reached a pivotal point in our marriage. When he called, I refused to listen to his excuses. I had had enough. I told him I hated him for everything he had done to me.” Her words were caught on a sob. “When he told me he loved me and was sorry, I screamed, ‘Liar! I wish you were dead!’ Now I can’t take it back!” As she cried out, tears were streaming down her cheeks. Bianca drew Mona Lisa into the circle of her arms and tried her best to comfort her. She wasn’t surprised to hear the footsteps rushing through the house; London appeared at the doorway. Bianca looked up at him over Mona Lisa’s shoulder and shook her head. With a solemn look and a nod, he turned away.

“There is no doubt in my mind Caleb knew you loved him,” Bianca said softly. “You were just mad, and it’s understandable. Sometimes we lash out and say things that we really don’t mean. The way you lifted him up and supported him, anybody who saw you together knew you loved that man.”

“I try so hard to believe that,” she confessed in a thin and lifeless voice.

Bianca drew back and met her eyes. “It’s true.”

“I always look at you and my brother and envy what the two of you have. You love each other.”

“We have our moments,” Bianca assured her. “All couples do.”

“Yes. But at the end of the day, you guys are still together, sticking it out by keeping the communication going,” she countered. Somewhere along the lines, Caleb and I just stop being able to communicate.”

Bianca was thinking about what Mona Lisa said about communication when she heard heavy footsteps echoing down the hall in the direction of the kitchen. Had London been standing outside the door listening? Her husband was angry, and he had a right to be. She should have been honest and trusted him. But she did not want her marriage to decline like Mona and Caleb’s marriage. If anything, ever happened to London, and she didn’t have a chance to talk to him and work out the issue with Collin, she would never be able to forgive herself. It was time for her and London to talk.

But by the time she left the bedroom and searched for London, he was gone.

London left his sister’s house and headed to pick up the girls from after-school care. He joined the long line of cars in front of the recreation center as parents picked up their children one by one. Brenna often picked up Sierra along with her clan, but today London felt an overwhelming need to pick up Sierra and his niece Gabriella. The two girls raced out to his vehicle and climbed in. They stopped to have burgers and fries at a local diner, and he was happy to see Gabriella was laughing and being silly like any other girl her age, but the moment he pulled up in front of Mona Lisa’s house, London saw the way her face drooped, and her head hung low.

“Is Mommy okay?” Gabriella asked.

“Yes, she’s better, but she will be happy when she sees you.”

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