Those Secrets We Keep by Liebert Emily

Author:Liebert, Emily [Liebert, Emily]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, azw3
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2015-06-01T23:00:00+00:00

chapter 18

For Sloane, there had been three major defining moments in her life. The kind of moments that shape who you are—for better or for worse. Either the ones that evoke unadulterated joy . . . or the ones that blindside you with a searing sucker punch, flattening you to the ground like a flapjack.

The most recent of these defining moments was the day her sister had called with her terminal diagnosis. Before that, there was the instant she’d laid eyes on Madeleine nine years ago. And earliest of all was the first time she’d kissed Luke. Really kissed him.

She hadn’t expected to feel the prodigious swell of emotions with Maddie. Sure, all of her mommy friends had vowed that there was nothing like cradling your newborn baby in your arms. Nothing like finally getting to meet the tiny human being who’d been growing inside you for forty long weeks and booting your stomach with a passion that seemed highly unrealistic for a five-pound fetus. They’d told her to anticipate that she’d be laughing boisterously one minute and weeping excessively the next over nothing more than a fabric softener commercial. That the fact that her midsection would still be bloated and her cankles would remain in full force weeks later, and she wouldn’t sleep for the next, say, five to ten years, wouldn’t matter at all. Because every hushed breath Maddie took would be reason enough to throw a ticker tape parade. And nothing else—absolutely nothing else—would seem remotely important. How could it, by comparison?

Sloane had nodded more vigorously than she’d felt like doing each time one of her friends had imparted such hard-earned wisdom. Regardless, until she’d experienced it for herself, she’d had no point of reference. But sure enough, as soon as she’d held her own baby in her arms, the feelings had been just as strong and overwhelming as everyone had predicted.

It was similar, just at the opposite end of the emotional spectrum, when Amy had phoned her on that sunny Saturday afternoon. She’d never forget how perfect a day it had been. Madeleine had woken up extra late, at nine thirty, allowing Sloane and Eddie to sleep in. They’d gone to breakfast at the diner, savoring thick cuts of French toast made from challah bread and drenched in warm maple syrup. Then they’d driven over to Eddie’s parents’ house, where Madeleine and Eddie had splashed around in the pool, while Sloane had reclined on a lounge chair, flipping through the latest copy of Vogue and touching up her hot pink pedicure. She’d felt so lucky.

They’d gotten home around five, all three of them blissfully exhausted and famished. Eddie had pulled three steaks out of the refrigerator, seasoning them in preparation for the grill, and Madeleine, ever his dutiful sous chef, had been chomping at the bit to shuck four ears of corn—one for each of them and a spare in case anyone wanted seconds. Sloane had been preparing to toss a big salad and mix a pitcher of iced tea with fresh mint when the phone had rung.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.