Page 31 of Blackout: Book Two

“Her heartbeat,” he croaks. “Is it strong? Is she healthy?”

“She’s perfect,” I whisper, swallowing against the lump in my throat. Tearing his gaze away from me, he nods and releases a strangled breath.

“You should go,” he rasps. “Keep doing what you’re doing,” he continues. “Keep taking good care of our girl. You’re going to be an amazing mother, Lacey. Fucking spectacular.”

A sob echoes off the walls of the hospital room and it takes me a second to realize it’s mine. Lifting my hand to my mouth, I stare at my husband through the cloud of tears obscuring my vision.

“And you, what are you going to do?” My voice cracks as I silently will him to look at me. Just once more. If for no other reason, then for him to see the love I neglected to speak.

“I guess we’ll see, won’t we?” he says.

“I guess we will,” I murmur softly.

Seconds turn to minutes and he still doesn’t look at me. We break. We shatter. The wall between us grows higher. The pain cuts deeper. It’s another heart wrenching chapter in our tragic fairy tale.

Realizing there is nothing more to say, I start for the door. Reaching it, I pause and turn back to him. He openly stares at me without saying a word.

“I do love you,” I whisper.

He nods.

“I love you too.”

Sadly, for us love isn’t always enough. The next day the judge mandated Blackie to an inpatient rehab just as Schwartz said he would. The only thing the lawyer failed to mention was that rehab would last ten months. That came as a shock and while everyone claims Blackie got off with a slap on the wrist, I wonder if they realize that slap was another blow to my heart. The biggest one of all because it means Blackie will miss our baby’s birth.

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