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Callie places a hand on her belly. “Weston and I are expecting our first child.” Since Angel was from her first marriage, this is the first baby she’s having with Weston. Although, he’s stuck around for Angel’s entire life and was there for most of the pregnancy, even if he didn’t know about it at first.
“That’s great news,” Jenni says. “Congratulations.”
I can tell she’s putting on a brave face, but I can’t imagine what she’s feeling inside, knowing she’ll never be able to carry her own baby inside her.
They pull out the ultrasound pictures, and my mom is in grandmother heaven, oohing and ahhing.
“I should probably go home. I need a shower anyway. I smell like campfire,” Jenni says to me and begins to walk away. But her voice is off, and I can only imagine the pain she’s going through seeing Callie and Weston announcing their first child. Jenni isn’t the type to make a big deal about it or make it about her, but that doesn’t mean she’s not hurting either.
I catch up to her by the front door. “Hey, are you okay?”
Her gaze flits to the living room. “You’re missing out on the fun.”
“They’ll still be there in five minutes.” My heart is twisting in knots at Jenni’s confession last night and now this? “I know this must be hard for you.”
“I just need to go, Langston. It’s not something you can fix.”
“What about us?”
Jenni breathes out a heavy sigh. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to continue this relationship.”
She might as well have punched me in the gut. Hard. “You can’t be serious.”
“I am. I’ve thought about it most of the night. I could hardly sleep after our conversation.”
“And you’ve decided what we’re feeling isn’t worth fighting for?” The old pain of abandonment flares up again, and it’s hard to breathe. “Am I the only one feeling this?” I wave a hand between us. Desperation rises in my voice.
She bites her lip, and her gaze slides away from me.
“Don’t lie to me, Jenni.”
“I want to be with you more than anything. But I can’t put you through the pain that being with me would inflict on you.”
Those were the words I was hoping she wouldn’t say. And I can’t think of a single thing to say to change her mind.
“Goodbye, Langston. You might as well tell your family we’re broken up, because I can’t handle the fake romance anymore. It’s too hard.”
And without another word, she walks out the door. I’ve never felt so helpless in my entire life.
“Is everything okay?” Mom comes up to me. Her mom radar must have been going off because nothing is okay. I fall into her arms, and she squeezes me and pats me on the back. I’m grateful that Hayden can’t see me from where he is in the living room, thanks to the fireplace that sections off the living room from the grand entrance.
“She just left,” I choke out.
“Honey, I’m sure she’ll be back. She just lives across town.”
“No, she left me. Ended things,” I clarify.
“What? What happened?”
Another relationship destroyed, another woman walking out on me. It’s like I’m cursed.
“What’s wrong with me, Mom? Why do I chase off all the women in my life?”
She pulls back and looks at me, her eyes full of concern. “I don’t know what’s going on with you and that girl, but there is nothing wrong with you, my precious boy.”
I want to leave, go home, and zone out in front of the TV, but I have a kid in the other room who is meeting his cousin for the very first time. I don’t want to miss it, and now I’m regretting my decision to corner Jenni when she was trying to leave. My heart aches so much with the loss. I want to chase after Jenni, try to talk sense into her, but I need to let her have the space she seems to want.
I fight my hardest to pull myself together, and I go back into the living room where Hayden and Amanda are talking to my brother and his wife and adopted child.