Chapter 86: Would He Ever Come Back?
I walked through the garden for a few moments, looking around the bigger hedges and bushes, trying to find Ethan, but I didn‘t see him anywhere.
It was like he had vanished from my life again.
With a hand over my baby, I walked back home and went inside, closing the door behind me.
It seemed so lonely inside now. Not long ago, Soren and I had been sitting at the table eating dinner, laughing, and having a good conversation about our day. Now, the entire house seemed still and quiet.
“What was Ethan even doing here?” | asked myself aloud. I had no idea.
He said he‘d come there to see me, but why?
How did he even figure out where I was?
I wanted to talk to Ethan again. I wanted to find him and make him sit down and answer a thousand questions.
But that wasn‘t going to happen.
I lay backward on my bed and stared up at the ceiling, wondering if I‘d ever even see him again. There was a chance he would just go back home. Perhaps all he wanted was to see me, and now that he had, now that he knew that I was alive, he would just turn around and head right back to Madalynn‘s open arms.
Madalynn… and her ring.
I decided there was nothing more I could do, so I got ready for bed.
However, In my restless dreams, I kept seeing Ethan again but not being able to speak to him.
When I woke up, I couldn‘t stop thinking about him.
Seraphine was there to check my vitals, and Lola was tidying up the cottage. We were all friends, but I knew | couldn‘t talk to them about this. I couldn‘t risk them finding out the truth about my past.
Thad left that all behind.
Or at least, I thought I had.
“Ro?” Seraphine asked as she put her stethoscope back in her midwife bag. “Are you okay? I‘m done checking the baby, and you usually ask me a thousand questions. Today you‘re just staring off into space.”
“Oh. I‘m sorry.” I shook my head, smiling at her. “I guess I‘m just distracted this morning.”
knew from the twinkle in her eye that she was prying. “I know you had dinner with Soren last
her. I ran a hand over my belly. “Everything
“It really won‘t
me feel. Was I ready to give
image of me lying in bed, pushing out my child with Seraphine‘s help, came to mind. The fuzzy form of
the experience would be very different based on who it was next to me. Soren would be so supportive. He‘d probably manage to make it fun. Ethan, on
worry, dear,” Seraphine said, sitting down next to me. “I know giving birth is never easy, but you‘ll be just fine. I‘ll be there with you every step of the way. Do you have
to get the images out of my mind. “Oh, no. I think
baby is healthy, and you‘re young and strong. I‘m sure this will be a perfectly normal birth where
packing her bag. I knew she had some other patients to
and I needed to check the
I needed to hurry and finish, or it wouldn‘t be
flowers. At least, that was what I told myself I was doing… but honestly, I
was looking
even leaving the comfort of my own home. How had he managed to reduce
was like a teenage girl,
he didn‘t answer. Sol cut some flowers
smiled at me as I came in. “Do you need
wonderful. Thank you,”
to come here if he wasn‘t going to talk to
and I thanked her as I took the vase
the window as I went to set the vase on
spilling water all
I said as Lola also cried out.
me get a broom and mop. Pregnancy can
tools she needed to clean up my mess, and I backed away from the glass
returned, I reached for the broom. “Let me
me off. “You could hurt yourself. I’ll get it,
though I felt awful that I’d created such a mess for her to have
was a danger to myself and
as
passed, and I still didn‘t see
next day in the garden, looking for any sign of him while I pretended to prune
he hadn‘t actually come to see me
get on with my life. Whatever it was that had
blanket, staring at nothing as Seraphine organized the drawers of clothing we‘d
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!