Page 107 of Choosing Hope

The call rang off, so I texted him to explain. Right now, I’ve gone into self-preservation mode. I flicked my phone off. Needing a few hours to myself. One half of me is screaming that I should be standing beside my husband, but the other half is still battered after months of betrayal, a little space will help me to reset.

When we arrived at my friend’s flat, Nicky immediately came out to greet us. She must have been watching for us and saw my car.

I glance around me. It’s been a while since I’ve been here. Nicky has lived in the same place for years. As I glance around the drab community, it annoys me that my friend doesn’t have more motivation to better herself. If she’d stop changing her job and traveling, she’d be able to afford better.

Though I must admit, being back here feels a little nostalgic.

“Hey, beautiful.” She hugs me warmly as soon as I step out of the car. I close the door carefully, hoping not to disturb Lily’s nap.

“Can we chat here for fifteen minutes? Lily will be a devil child if we wake her too early,” I ask, pulling a cringing face.

She doesn’t respond but turns to lean on my car with her arms crossed.

“What’s he done?”

I sigh. “Don’t ask.”

She frowns. “I assumed you’d come to listen to my honest pearls of wisdom,” she teases, with a cheeky grin on her face.

I laugh, “No. I already know what you’ll say, and I’ll ignore your advice anyway.”

She peers at me, a quizzical expression dancing on her pretty face.

“We needed a change of scenery for a bit.”

Nicky turns to glance at me, a winning smile splitting her face.

“I’m looking forward to my all expenses paid trip with you guys. Your idea of a holiday and mine are very different.”

I shake my head. “Have you had any luck finding a job?” I ask, frustrated with her.

Her whole head rolls, her face ends up looking at the sky. We’ve been having this argument for years.

“What’s going on with Spencer? I thought you’d resolved all this stuff with him,” she demands, purposefully changing the subject.

“I think Kalie’s pregnant,” I moan.

Her eyes grow wide but only for a nanosecond.

“So?” she snaps.

“What do you mean, so?” I demand, hardly believing my ears.

“Well, obviously it’s not ideal but so what? You accepted he was fucking her for months and did nothing about it.” She lifts her hands away from her thighs dramatically. “You’ve already told me you won’t leave him. What did you expect could happen?”

I slam my eyes closed. This is another of our ongoing disagreements. She thinks my allowing Spencer to have ‘extracurricular relationships’ is because of my self-esteem issues.

I open my mouth just about to rip into her, when she adds, “Anyway, by the sounds of things, you aren’t certain. Before you freak out, why don’t you wait for confirmation that sheispregnant?”

Lily’s cries from inside the car steal my attention, and I’ve never been more grateful to hear my daughter’s distress.

Ignoring Nicky’s stern scrutiny, I open the rear car door.

“Hey, Lily-pad, it’s okay. Mummy’s here.”

She lifts her arms to me seeking comfort. I wonder if she’s picked up on my tension because it’s unusual for her to cry when she wakes up.

“Did you wonder where I was?” I ask her, speaking gently as I unclip her seat.