Shining Pearls by Ann Omasta

Author:Ann Omasta [Omasta, Ann]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ann Omasta

20

Claire

Since Hannah’s school had scheduled the entire week off for Thanksgiving, Alex and I dropped our daughter off with Alex’s sister, Avery, on Monday morning. The woman and I had our issues with each other, mostly because I didn’t appreciate the way she had always relentlessly teased Alex. I knew all about sibling rivalry, however Avery took it to a whole new, uncalled-for level. But there was no denying that she loved her niece with all of her heart, and Hannah felt just as strongly about her fun Aunt Avery.

I did feel bad that Avery had lost her job as a paralegal––presumably for publicly standing by her brother’s side while Alex had been thought to be the town’s first murderer––although the law firm would never admit to that being the reason for her dismissal. She’d been struggling to find gainful employment since, so I knew the extra cash from babysitting Hannah would come in handy, although she would likely fight us about accepting it. I would win that battle, even if I had to stuff it into her purse on the sly.

Alex was taking a rare morning off from writing, and I had reluctantly asked the bank for a day of paid time off. Although my year-long leave of absence hadn’t been voluntary, I still felt guilty about asking for vacation time so soon after my return, especially since I was now enjoying a schedule with shorter work hours. But I had a good reason for requesting the day off.

My period was late. The last time it had been late, Hannah had been the cause. It wasn’t just that, though. I felt pregnant. My breasts were tender, just like they had been during the first trimester with Hannah. More than that, my body knew there was another life growing inside it. Oh, and the drugstore pregnancy test that Alex had purchased late at night––hoping to avoid starting the rumor mill, in case it was negative––had resulted in a fabulous pink plus sign.

I knew it wasn’t fair to place so much desperate hope on an innocent baby, but I couldn’t help but think that this child might be just what Alex and I needed to get our relationship back on track. The miracle of Hannah’s birth had been an incredible bonding moment for the two of us. It wasn’t wrong of me to crave getting back to that wonderful, comfortable place with my husband. This baby was our return ticket to that easy intimacy. It had to be.

The niggling fear wouldn’t go away that now that I was pregnant, Alex wouldn’t have any reason to make love to me. The few times we’d touched each other since my return had been prefaced by a mention of our decision to have another child. Hopefully, the news that we had successfully created another life would make him realize that we were growing a family that needed two parents, who fiercely loved not just their children, but each other, as well.

Once I checked-in with

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