Emily POV My body is rigid. All I feel is the coolness of the floor against my face. The apartment is silent, a sign that Jacob and Liam haven’t returned yet. I have no idea how long I’ve been passed out. When I look through Jacob’s bedroom window, the sun is setting in the sky. It takes me a while to move, my joints aching from being in this position for a while. Somehow I must have tripped, lost my balance and fallen on my head. I put my hand on the part of my scalp where it hurts and feel a bump. How did I get here? And then I remember my confrontation with Nancy. The black and white photo of Jacob and Jocasta when they were kids is still on the bed, a reminder that Nancy was right all along—I can’t compete with the memory of a ghost. I sit on Jacob’s bed with the photo in my hand, wondering if I close my eyes long enough, this will all go away. But when I open them again, there it is. The truth in black and white. I tell myself not to jump to conclusions; it’s just a photo.
Jacob POV This is not how I wanted Emily to find out. The anguish in her voice tells me I might have blown my last chance with her. How could I have been so foolish to hold onto that photo? There was no way I could explain the meaning behind it to Emily, not over the phone. And now that I might have the whole picture, it makes it that much harder. “Mr Collin, I have the results you requested,” says a short, freckled man with a lab coat on. I take an unmarked envelope from him. “Thanks Scott, I really appreciate you fast-tracking this,” I say. “And could you bill this to my personal account and not the hospital’s?” He nods in response and walks away. I don’t want any of it to show on Sacred Heart’s records. It would only raise suspicions and right now, I can’t have anyone knowing about this. That day with Thaddeus and Emily, a thought dawned on me. All I needed was a strand of hair from each of them. With Emily, it was simple—while she was showering one morning, I plucked some
Emily POV Going through Jacob’s address book, Ruth is the only familiar name I’ve come across. Leaving Liam with Mason is not an option. If he’s in cahoots with Jacob, the first thing he’ll do is let him know that I’ve left. So I take a chance and call Ruth. She answers almost immediately. “Helloooooo.” “Hi Ruth, it’s Emily,” I say. I expect her to put the phone down, but her voice bellows over the line, “Dear Emily, how lovely to hear from you.” I’m completely caught off guard with her friendly greeting. It’s not the Ruth I know. But then again, those were under very different circumstances. “Ruth, I know it’s very short notice but I have a huge favor to ask of you,” I say. “Of course, how can I be of help?” she asks politely. It’s as if she’s a robot that’s been reprogrammed to say “yes” to my every command. “I need you to look after Liam for a few hours,” I beg. “For when?” she asks. “For now?” I say more as a question than an answer. She doesn’t hesitate and immediately
Olivia POV Sitting across from Emily, I think she has everything she’s ever needed; a man that loves her, a kid that simply adores her. This thing with Jacob will pass. It’s just another stumbling block in their relationship. Nobody said it would be easy. Just because she’s wearing his ring, doesn’t mean the hard work stops. Now it only begins—for both of them. Every day, they have to prove to each other that they are worthy of the other’s love. I can’t say the same for Mason and me. I would define our affair as something of a stalemate. After that night at the bar, I thought it better to let him cool off. It’s been a few weeks and I guess the cooling off period is done. But all this time on my own has given me a chance to think, an introspection of sorts. I’ve come to the conclusion that he’s better off without me. Mason and I are from two different worlds. He can’t see that now, but the contrasts will be as glaring as night and day when he introduces me to his friends, or even w
Emily POV I’ve been thinking a lot about Liam these past few days. All the things that have happened to me since he died go back to him—the birth of Liam, falling in love with Jacob, and now this little person growing inside of me. The only other connection I have to him is my Aunt Evelyn. The last time I saw her was the day after Liam’s funeral. Since then, I haven’t had the strength or will to initiate a conversation with her, unless it’s over text. And even then, the tension is palatable. She doesn’t have to say it, but I know she blames for his death. For a long time, so did I. But I think I’ve healed enough to realize it was no one’s fault. And this strange affinity I have for Jocasta just won’t settle down, even after seeing that photo of her and Jacob. The connection to her feels so strong; I’m like a moth being drawn to a flame. Every time I feel like I’m getting closer to figuring out the puzzle, I’m left even more frustrated. There are so many similarities between her
Emily POV “Look, there’s your little baby’s heartbeat. Would you like to hear it, Mom?” asks the obstetrician. She’s a friendly, little lady with graying hair and a massive smile on her face. Instantly after meeting her, I took a liking to Dr. Goodman. Maybe it’s the fact that she looks like she could be anyone’s grandma or that she reminds me of Dr. Ruth. Either way, we’re the perfect fit. She turns up the sound on the ultrasound machine and lets me listen to the heartbeat. “Doo-doo, doo-doo.” “You’ve got yourself a healthy little fighter there,” she says. “Looks like you’re two months along, but it’s still too early to tell the gender.” I can still hear the heartbeat like the melody to a song, bringing tears to my eyes. “And there’s nothing out of the ordinary?” I ask. “Nope, your baby is developing like it should. I reckon this pregnancy should be an easy one,” she smiles. “Any preference on what you want the gender to be?” I shake my head, “I really don’t want to know, as
Jacob POV Emily’s been gone for almost a week. With her not here, it feels like I’ve lost a limb—a part of me can’t function without her. Thaddeus said she needed space, and I’ve respected her wishes thus far, but knowing that there’s a chance I’ll see her today, I can’t promise that anymore. I know that if I can get her alone for a few minutes, we can work all this out. No, scratch that idea. I suppose a wedding isn’t the perfect place to tell someone that they’ve been living a made up life for more than eighteen years. During the drive to Mason’s folks’ place in Carnegie Hill, I mentally prepare myself for the day ahead. I’m happy for Mason, but there’s a part of me that also feels envious. A few weeks ago, this could have been Emily and me. Now, everything hangs in the balance. Cher’s “If I Could Turn Back Time” starts playing on the radio, and I smile at the irony of it all. ‘Ain’t that the truth, Cher,’ I think while singing along to the song. The Olwens are one of the few
Emily POV Early the next morning, there’s a knock on the door. I think it’s Thaddeus and shout from the room, “It’s open.” Looking like something the cat dragged in, Olivia lets herself in. “Helloooooo,” she hollers from the foyer, “Anyone home?” I’m surprised to see her considering she just got married the night before. “What are you doing here?” I ask her. “I was in the neighborhood and decided to stop by,” she slurs her words. She smells like she just bathed in a vat of whiskey. “Are you still drunk?” I ask. “Maybe just a teeny tiny little,” she smirks. She’s alone. I wonder where Mason has wandered off to. “I thought you were supposed to be in the Bahamas by now?” I ask. “Nope, that’s only in a few days’ time,” she hiccups. “And where is your groom? Or have you already discarded him?” I joke. “He’s probably still fast asleep. I doubt he’ll be up before 2pm,” she laughs. “By the way, what happened to you last night? I didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye.” After m