15-05-2021-052358It-Ends-with-Us

I shake my head. “No. It was a shock. Believe me.” She laughs and after another hug, we both sit down again. I try to keep up my ...

I wipe the napkin beneath my eye, soaking up more tears. “Sometimes... when I’m really missing him... I tell myself that maybe i ...

was weak in the past, but she’s actually one of the strongest women I know. “Mom?” I say, pulling back. “I want to be you when I ...

Chapter Thirty-Three “What am I going to do with three car seats?” I’m sitting on Allysa’s couch, staring at all the stuff. She ...

the trash bag I’m holding and he takes it from my hands. “Let me get this.” I let him. He takes that bag and another one down to ...

I breathe in and out as I try to process everything that’s happening inside of me right now. He looks really good. It’s been so ...

waving a hand toward the crib. He begins putting his tools back inside the tool case. “Is there anything else you need while I’m ...

I cry for Ryle. Because even though he’s responsible for the situation he’s in, I know how sad he is about it. And when you love ...

Chapter Thirty-Four I finish rinsing the paint out of the brushes and then walk back to the nursery to admire the mural. I spent ...

times.” He glances over his shoulder and I can see the concern in his expression. He’s worried that I was here doing it all on m ...

feels good sharing this with him, but I’m also scared I might be giving him false hope. Now that he’s here and he saw the nurser ...

many men—women even—who abuse their significant others without ever losing their temper with anyone else. I want to believe your ...

I don’t know how I’m supposed to last until my due date when I can’t even get out of a chair without grunting. Once I’m standing ...

Chapter Thirty-Five I smell toast. I stretch out on my bed and smile, because Ryle knows toast is my favorite. I lie here for a ...

He talks to the baby a lot. I finally felt comfortable enough to let him feel the baby kick a couple of weeks ago and since then ...

I look down and water is trickling down my leg. My phone is still ringing on the kitchen counter. I walk—or waddle—to the kitche ...

“Hand me a towel.” Ryle’s hand appears around the shower curtain a few seconds later. I try to fit the towel around me before pu ...

“I’m driving. I’ll call her when we get to the hospital. And your mom.” I nod. I’m sure I could call them right now, but I kind ...

for both of us to sit on the bed. After I hand her to him, I lay my head on his shoulder and we just can’t stop staring at her. ...

when he was at his worst. Five minutes of witnessing him at his worst couldn’t make up for even five years of him at his best. I ...