Page 6 of Big Island Summer
Her yoga classes drew in a steady stream of regulars with new students coming each week, but it still wasn’t enough to pay the rent.
She’d held up her half of the expenses easily enough (even though her ex-boyfriend made four or five times as much as she did), but with him gone she couldn’t bring in enough money to pay for the beautiful two-story house alone.
He was supposed to come over that day to pick up the last of his stuff, and she was almost looking forward to it. Not that she was looking forward to seeing him – she could happily go the rest of her life without setting eyes on him again, as a matter offact – but she was looking forward to being well and truly done with the man who had started up with a woman half their age while Fern coasted along like a fool, thinking that everything was fine.
She had already boxed up all of his stuff in order to get him in and out of the house as quickly as possible. And she had boxed up her own stuff too, which had been more painful. But if she wanted to keep her idyllic yoga space downstairs, and she did, then she would have to rent out the second-story home up above.
She had already started migrating downstairs, hanging tapestries and moving photos and doing everything she could to make the tiny one-bedroom place feel like home. It was better suited as a guest house – which was what they had used it for, hosting friends who came to visit for a week at a time – but she didn’t need much space. It was just her, after all.
Maybe she should get a cat.
A knock on the door pulled her out of her spiraling thoughts.
That would be Chad.
She sighed, steeled herself, and opened the door.
“Good morning,” a voice squeaked.
Fern adjusted her gaze, looking down a full foot below the spot where she’d expected to find Chad’s cold blue eyes. There was a different pair of eyes there, the same color but filled with kindness… and anxiety. Shining blond hair cascaded over her shoulders, nearly all the way down to her belly.
Tiffany.
When she pressed the palms of her hands to her shirt, revealing the slight bulge of early pregnancy, the sight hit Fern like a punch to the gut.
Chad had never really wanted children.
When an accidental pregnancy early in their relationship failed to produce a living baby, his life continued on unchanged.And when she lost their second baby years later, she had sensed the same thing from him as the first time: disappointment with an undercurrent of relief.
He had supported her (nominally, financially) while she recovered from each loss – but both times, Fern’s devastation was hers and hers alone.
Trying again would be too hard on her body, he’d insisted. Anyway, weren’t the billions of people already trampling the Earth enough? He couldn’t in good conscience add to overpopulation.
And no, adoption wasn’t on the table either. When Fern asked, he’d always said that he would never be able to love a kid that wasn’t his.
Now she stood face to face with the proof that he had no issues with starting a family after all. He just hadn’t wanted to start a family withher.
“Remember me?” The girl’s smile was bright, but her hands twisted together nervously.
“Tiffany,” Fern sighed. Chad had brought his new girlfriend along to the breakup… what had made her think that she wouldn’t be there for moving day too?
“Yep, that’s me.”
“Hi.” Fern looked over her head and down the stairs, scanning the empty space for Chad.
“He’s not here.” Tiffany’s tone was apologetic.
“He sentyouto pick up his boxes?”
“I’m stronger than I look,” she said, trying to keep things light.
“That’s not what I–”
“He had to work, so I came to get everything. He said you’d boxed it all up already?”
“Yeah, I did.”
“Great, thank you!” After an awkward pause she asked, “Can I come in?”
