Page 31 of Laying His Claim
“What!” she huffed jokingly. “Taking your pregnancy test is a great experience! Worthy of preserving!”
“Not if you’re just a teenager,” Jalissa piped up. “Do you remember when you found out you were pregnant with Lilianna? You thoughtIwas the pregnant one. I brought home, like, ten tests, and we went through all of them. You only took one because you didn’t want me to do it alone.” She took another sip of her chardonnay and laughed. “Turns out, you were the one who…” She trailed off, realizing that everyone was staring at her. “What?”
“You remember that?” Kaiya asked softly.
“Of course,” Jalissa scoffed. “Why wouldn’t…” She clapped a hand over her mouth. She’d remembered something that happened almost ten years ago!
Of one accord, the two sisters leaped up and threw their arms around her, making such a racket with their excited squeals that the kids in the adjacent room stopped playing with their toys and stared.
“You remember! You remember!” Kaiya enthused. “What else?”
Jalissa frowned, as if trying to reach into her memory like a diver piercing the darkness of the deep sea, below the level where the sun could reach. Justin realized he was holding his breath.
“I remember how mad your parents were. How they sent you away to… Nova Scotia? No.” She snapped her fingers, urging the memory to come to her. “It was New Brunswick! You had your baby there….” She paused, glancing past Tyler’s shoulder and seeming to notice that Lili was watching and listening. She finished in a hushed voice, “And I remember what happened after that.”
There were more gleeful hurrahs, and Jalissa turned to Justin, seeking affirmation. “It’s coming back to me!”
Justin knew he should be happy for Jalissa. He wanted more than anything for her to get better, but he also knew what could happen if she became fully aware of everything that had transpired between them.Oh, God, he thought.
But he forced a smile onto his lips and hugged her tightly. “That’s great, Babe. I’m so proud of you.”
She seemed to sense that something was off in his response, because her dark eyes searched his, but she didn’t say anything.
Finn leaped up. “This calls for a celebration! I have a bottle of Moët that’s been waiting for exactly this moment.” As he disappeared from the room in search of the precious bottle, Justin realized that the last thing he wanted was a celebratory drink.
“You okay?” Jalissa asked with concern.
“I’m great,” he assured while doing his best to fake a smile. “I just need some air, that’s all.”
“Want me to come?”
“No,” Justin insisted, “It’s fine.” After giving Jalissa’s shoulder a light squeeze, he slipped outside without stopping to put on his jacket. Justin immediately felt the chill settle over him. The mild shock was bracing, and he gulped it in, enjoying the burning in his lungs. He didn’t know what bothered him more; Jalissa getting all her memories back or the fact that Jalissa remembered things about everyone else except him.
He needed to think.
Chapter 12
The ride home was solemn. Jalissa felt deflated, let down. She’d been so excited by the recent flashes of memory, a sure indication that she was on the mend. And yet, Justin didn’t seem to share her joy.
The rest of the night had been a little muted; as if everyone had subconsciously noted a shift in the atmosphere. Instead of segueing from Pictionary to Scrabble or Trivial Pursuit, they’d decided to call it a night.
Seb was asleep even before his father buckled him into the car seat, so his parents spoke softly on the way home. They talked about nothing in particular - upcoming hockey games and ideas for Seb’s birthday party.
Together, they put the baby to bed; no need for bedtime stories, as Seb was out cold. Once they’d quietly exited the nursery and closed the door, Justin and Jalissa stood in the hall looking at each other. Jalissa’s head was full of questions:What was going on? Why was he so quiet?
But instead of addressing the sudden awkwardness, Justin took her into his arms, kissed her tenderly on the lips, and then stroked her cheek. “I’m proud of you, Sweetheart,” he murmured. Then they separated and went to their respective rooms.
That night, Jalissa couldn’t seem to find a comfortable position in the bed; eventually succumbing to exhaustion around four in the morning. When she woke up, it was well past ten and she’d missed the chance to give Sebastian his breakfast. Cursing the lost opportunity, Jalissa hurriedly cleaned up and went looking for her son.
She found him in the sun room, in the company of the detestable Lorena, who had, in her opinion, dressed him inappropriately to play indoors. The poor boy was wearing so many layers of clothing that he looked like a fragile glass ornament wadded up in cotton wool. Jalissa considered saying something, but the nanny gave her a sour look and gathered Seb up into her arms, encircling him like a mama python protecting her egg. So instead, Jalissa rolled her eyes and went in search of Justin.
Whenever her buried memories were mentioned Jalissa sensed that Justin was keeping some secret from her. Enough was enough. She would have it out with him now. When she found him, he was in his office frowning down at a stack of papers, though he didn’t seem entirely focused on them. A deep breath and she pushed the door shut.
“I need to talk with you,” she announced; her voice as firm as she could manage.
His beautiful eyes darkened as they met hers. Justin tidied his paperwork, pushed it aside and stood, shoulders squared as if preparing himself for their discussion.
Pushing away from the door, Jalissa strode around the desk to face him, her head tilted back so she could meet his gaze evenly. She was to not backing down. “I need you to spit it out. Whatever it is.” As he inhaled to respond, she held up a hand. “And don’t try to act like you don’t know what I’m talking about. That’s beneath you. I want the truth, Justin.”
