Page 76

But then she’d climbed out of bed, gasping at the bright-red stain on the sheets. She’d gripped her stomach and ran to the bathroom, where she sat on the toilet, screaming and crying through cramps. What she did next is burned into my memory for all eternity.
She kneeled on the floor in front of the toilet and fished out all the tissue and blood clots, sifting through it on the tiled bathroom floor, looking for anything that could be the baby. It was the most heartbreaking, yet terrifying thing I’d ever witnessed. She was insane with grief, searching for our baby among the remains.
I’d pulled her away, refusing to let her continue. She hit me, called me names, cursed me as I gathered her into my arms and took her back to our bed.
I called Marti to come watch Bug and took Stella to the hospital. After it was all over and we came back home, she slept for three days straight. On the fourth day, when I came home from picking Bug up from school, all of Stella’s stuff was gone and there was a note on the counter telling me she was done. She wanted a divorce.
This is the first time I’ve seen her since that morning.
“I know how devastated you were. I was too. I just think I deserved more than aDear Johnletter.” I laugh disingenuously. “Hell, even a Dear John letter would have been better. What you left me was cruel. A fucking memo that you were leaving.” I release a devastating gush of air. “And what you did to my daughter… that was the most unforgivable thing of all.”
She lowers her eyes to the bar top. “How is she?”
“She’s thirteen. How do you think she is?”
She motions to the seat next to her. “Sit.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Please, Asher? I mean, what are the odds we’d be at the same place at the same time like this? Maybe this was meant to happen.”
“I’mwithsomeone, Stella.”
She flashes me her left hand. “Me too. I married Jeffrey two years ago. I’m not looking for a hookup, if that’s what you think. You’re obviously not with someone this very second. So stay, just for a few minutes.”
“Whatareyou looking for, Stella?”
She shrugs. “Closure? Come on, for old times?”
My chest heaves with a rush of air. I should be sleeping after the day I’ve had. But maybe she’s right. Maybe a bit of closure on that chapter in our lives would be nice.
“Bourbon on the rocks,” I say to the bartender as I take a seat. “So, what are you doing here?”
“I live in Albany now. I’m in town for my dad’s funeral.”
“Gerry died? Damn, I’m sorry. But where’s your husband?”
“Flying in from London. His plane lands early tomorrow. He was visiting his son.”
I raise a brow. “You married another single father?”
She nods.
“Do you… have any kids?” I ask hesitantly.
She shakes her head sadly then asks, “Do you? I mean other than Darla?”
I shake my head, because technically, I don’t. Not yet. And as much as I dislike the woman, I did love her once. I don’t need to be rubbing it in her face that I’m about to have two more while she still has none.
“What brings you to New York City?” she asks.
“Work. I’m only here for the night.”
“Long way to go for just one night.”
“Not such a long way now. I live just outside the city.”
Her jaw drops. “You said you’d never move out of Florida. You loved it there.”