Page 30 of The Heart Of A Real Woman
I leaned back against the wall, breathing deep, trying to find the words to respond, but nothing came out. I knew I was wrong,but so was he.
“How far along are you?”
I let out a slow breath. “Just made eighteen weeks.”
He clicked his tongue, frustration evident in his tone. “You knew before you left home?”
“No. I found out a month later when I realized I had missed my period.”
“Have you been to the doctor?”
I nodded. “I’ve been seeing my mama’s gynecologist.”
“How many times have you gone?”
“Twice.”
“You heard the heartbeat? Had an ultrasound?”
“Of course.”
“Fuck,” Moses shook his head in disbelief.
“I know I hurt you, and I’m sorry as fuck about that. But that doesn’t give you the right to keep your pregnancy from me, especially after everything we've been through regarding that. A nigga would do anything to hear my baby’s heartbeat.”
An uncomfortable silence settled in the room until he finally broke it.
“What you was gon’ do? Divorce me and keep my kid a secret forever?”
“Don’t be dramatic, Moses. I was going to tell you and Jr. There was no way I could hide it forever.”
“When was you gon’ say somethin’?”
“When things calmed down… after the divorce was finalized. I knew being pregnant would only make you act out more, trying to get me back home.”
“And you was right.” He pointed at me, the diamonds on his rings catching the light.
“So now what?”
“Now, we sit on your big ass island until we get our shit straightened out. ‘Cause we stuck like glue, baby. No matter what, we ain’t getting no divorce. That’s what you told me, and I couldn’t agree more.” I watched as he stormed out.
Sighing, I pushed myself off the wall and wandered deeper into the room. I walked over to the large window and stared out at the beach. The water stretched far and wide, calm and clear under the sun. I closed my eyes and rested a hand on my belly, thinking about the life growing inside me.
There was a time when this felt impossible. For a while, Moses and I had tried everything to get me pregnant, and nothing worked. Turned out, PCOS was my worst nightmare in more ways than I ever expected. It wasn’t just the breakoutsor the irregular periods. It was the infertility. The weight of it crushed me.
When the doctor explained that was the reason I was having a hard time conceiving, I spiraled into a dark depression I didn’t know how to crawl out of. Moses was hurt too. But not like I was. He found a way to keep moving. I didn’t. I stayed stuck.
The silence between us built a wall. Thick, heavy, and damn near impossible to break through. I shut down outside of work, doing whatever I could to numb the ache. And Moses… well, it became clear he found comfort somewhere else.
Chapter Ten.
Marilyn
The day had come and gone, and night was settling in. I couldn’t pinpoint Moses’s whereabouts. He had stormed out when we first arrived, and I hadn’t seen him since deciding to take a nap. After stepping out of the shower, I oiled my skin and slipped into a gown, planning to sit on the balcony and enjoy the moonlight and the sound of the waves. But when I walked out of the bathroom, Isabella was standing in the bedroom waiting for me.
“Mrs. Mikaelson, I’ve prepared dinner and set the table for you.” She said to me.
“Aww, thank you so much. I appreciate it. But my appetite’s been all over the place lately. A little queasy here and there. What did you make? I’d hate for your hard work to go to waste.”
