Page 44 of Breathe Again

Whatever I thought about her, she had lots of friends, well, except for poor Abby. Not sure what was going on there. She shouldn’t be jealous, but she surely sounded it.

“I think so, too. You and Zale should go on a trip. I’m sorry, but I couldn’t possibly take Olivia for a full week. I mean, maybe I could, but I do have commitments, you know.”

“That’s okay, Mom, I know that.”

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t, Mara, I just said I wasn’t sure.”

“It’s no problem, Mom. First, I didn’t ask. Second, we’re not planning a trip anytime soon.”

“Is it money? I could lend you some money. You need to look after your marriage.”

I regretted making the call. I couldn’t for the life of me remember why it seemed like a good idea in the first place.

“No, Mom, we don’t have money problems.”

“And? Your marriage? How are things with Zale? He seemed quiet.”

Giddy up heart rate.

“He’s always quiet. Things are fine, things are good. We’re happy. We’re not newlyweds anymore…” I petered off, knowing I’d revealed too much.

“Oh, well, don’t let that become a problem…” she laughed.

I cut her off. “There is no problem. We are not newlyweds anymore; we’ve ironed out all the bumps. Things are smooth, life is good.”

I sat down, pinching the bridge of my nose between my eyes.

“Well, that’s good. I wouldn’t want you to be alone like your sister. But you’re not self-centered like she is, so it’s not likely to happen.”

“I’ll talk to you later, Mom.”

“Don’t get huffy, Mara. It’s just a comment.”

“I’ll talk to you later.”

“It’s the truth!”

“I’ll talk to you later.”

“Fine! I hope you have a good day!”

It didn’t sound like a sincere wish, but I thanked her anyway and got off the phone.

I sat bent over my knees, the heels of my hands pressed against my eyes.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Repeat.

The quiet crept back in. I cranked up my music, set the alarm for the house, and finished my manuscript.

The time passed quickly. Surprisingly, given the lack of sleep, I was not sleepy. Tired, but not sleepy. I got a text from Bex telling me they were back on the road and would be here in fifteen minutes. I disengaged the security system and sat on the couch with my book to wait.

These minutes, the ones where Olivia was in the car, were the worst for me. Terrible things do happen, and no one gets a free pass through life. I was terrified that something would happen to Olivia.

I couldn’t concentrate on reading, so I played a game on my phone and before I knew it, she was home. I met them at the door. Olivia was not quite as enamored with the birds as she was before she left.

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