I got into the house a little past eight at night."Where have you been?"I squeaked in surprise. How did I not notice him standing by the stairs?"Good evening," I said out of courtesy."I asked you a question.""I was out with River." I said like I was trying to refresh his memory."And I specifically told you to not leave this house.""Leo, I-""I'm not done talking woman!" My lips immediately tucked into my mouth as I watched him warily. "You left this house before noon and you're coming back by this time?!""We had a lot to catch up on." I weakly explained."I called you. Where did you keep your phone?""The thing is, we had a spa session and I put my phone on silent mode.""And when you saw the call you missed?""I was on my way back home so I just thought-""You're a married woman for goodness sake! You shouldn't be hanging with her!""But why? She's been there for as long as I remember...""Can't you see she's such a bad influence on you?! For God's sake, this girl disrespec
"Are you upset?" She came into my room after her friend left and that was the first thing she asked."About?" I asked back with a raised brow."About River coming over while you were away." "Do you think it's enough reason to be upset?" I questioned, sure she already knew the answer to that.She puffed out a breath, "Leo, I know you don't like her.""No. Don't misquote me." "How-"Lifting my left index finger, I paused her, "Let me finish.""Aurora, I do not have a problem with your friend, I have a problem with her influence on you." "But-"I cut her off again, "I'm not done.""Whenever she's around, you turn into a disobedient, careless wife. I know she gives you wrong advice. I sometimes overhear your conversations with her over the phone.""You've been eavesdropping?" She asked, sounding surprised."That's not the point." Yes I had stumbled in on her conversations with her friend over the phone, retreating back so she would not notice my presence."Leo-""I'm still talking. J
"A friend of yours is coming to live with us?" I asked just to be sure I heard him right the first time.He nodded, "Yes. She just got a job and is moving to Washington. So I offered to let her stay until she's back on her feet and can you know, get her own apartment." "Do I know this friend?" I asked him."The only friend of mine you know is Rick.""How close are you?" I knew I was asking a lot of questions but I needed to be sure. Thankfully he answered without feeling like he was being interrogated."She's a childhood friend, we lived in the same neighbourhood." "So she knows your parents?""Of course."I frowned, "So why can't she stay with them? They're also in Washington aren't they?"They had a bigger house and since his parents knew her from childhood, I believed they would get along well."She'd be comfortable here. We live closer to the city than mom and dad. Plus, I think you two would make good friends." His last statement was not so appealing. Too much of an assumption
"You look great." She said as I trudged down the stairs.I did not expect the compliment, "Thanks Carmella.""You know, Leo and I went for prom together and he was such a gentleman. I'm so glad he hasn't changed that aspect of him." She commented."Hmm." I hummed, wondering what she expected me to say in response to that. "Ready Aurora?" Leo thankfully came in just then."Yeah.""Alright, we'll see you later Cam." He said to her."Have fun." She bade us."Sure will.""Are you sure you want me to go with you?" I asked him nervously as we made it out of the house."Yeah. Why would you ask that?" He sounded bewildered by my question.I didn't know how to plainly put it to him that I still believed he was embarrassed to be out with me. Now I was going to meet up with his friends. It was odd.I shook my head, "Never mind. Let's go."I watched as he held doors open for me. He never used to do that before.There was an uproar when we walked into the lounge that evening. There were about fiv
Staring up at the plain white ceiling, I sighed heavily. I was back here again. Ready to be poked and injected with another fertilized egg, all to just have an heir for the Adams.When the process was done and over with, I dragged myself out of the hospital and found my way back to the house.I was struggling. There was a sudden weight gain within the last couple of months that kept Leo away from me. It was genuinely out of my control but that man could not hide how much it threw him off. I blamed it on all the meds I had to take. Over time, I found myself not stepping out of the house because I felt so insecure about my body. River had done everything in her power to talk me up but I was not having it. "Aurora, what are you doing in here?" Carmella came into the kitchen as I tried to get myself a cup of Greek yoghurt. I raised the cup for her to see."Are you allowed to take that?"There was just something about the way she sized me up with her gaze that made me want to smack he
"It failed again."I sighed when she told me the bad news. I just stared back at her, not knowing the right words to say."Say something," she urged me, looking downcast."Let's give it some time before we try again," I said softly."But what if i doesn't work?""I don't know Aurora, I don't know." I sighed."Your mom is going to come for my head," She was crying already. That did nothing to help."She's not."Aurora vehemently shook her head. Of course she did not believe that. "Leo what if I never give you a child?" She asked, looking genuinely scared.I shushed her, "Don't say that." "But what if I don't?" "Adoption?""No." She shook her head quickly."Surrogacy?"I thought about it for moment. It made sense. If we tried that and it worked out, it would perfect for both of us.~"Hell no!" That was my father's reaction. I knew the rest of our parents, especially my mother would kick against it."You two just have to keep trying.""But we've tried and failed how many times.""Ke
"Maybe you should just leave her." "Mom please stop.""Don't you get it Leonardo? She's barren. How many more failed IVFs do you want?"I listened from the hallway although she was loud enough for me to hear it from my bedroom."It's just four failed IVFs mom and we are still trying. We'll have a baby soon enough.""Get yourself another woman who has a functioning womb." "Mom I'm not going to cheat on her, not again.""It's not cheating if it is a pointless marriage. You wouldn't look outside if she was the least bit good enough. I blame your father for this." I just wanted her to stop talking. Her words bit straight into my skin and I knew she knew I could hear her. She said those venomous words to hurt me and unfortunately it was working.I went into my bedroom, sprawled on the floor with my back against the door, I cried my eyes out.The fear of never having a child crept into me and it poured out the tears even more. I had taken those painful injections with high hopes that I w
It was so hard to watch my friend mourn and become a shadow of himself. Rick always seemed lost these days. I had done everything in power to make him come out of his state of depression but it all seemed to be futile."Rick you have to come out of this." I said on one of my many visits to his house that had become a mess. "My life is meaningless without her dude." He said, staring straight up at the ceiling, lying motionless on the floor of his bedroom with empty drink bottles splayed all over.I heaved a sigh. Love could do a lot of things to people but when it came with grief like this, it was destructive."Listen, I booked you a vacation." I said in an excited tone, hoping he'd catch on to it."I don't want to go anywhere," He groined, covering his face with a blanket."Too bad because I already paid for everything." "Leonardo," He glared at me."You're going to thank me for this." I said as I pulled him up and shoved him into the bathroom to take a shower. I tried my best to pa