Page 66 of Finding Forgiveness

“I haven’t told him. I need to do a test first.”

“You should probably do that. I wish I was there to hold your hand.”

“I do too, come home, Cass.”

“I’m not ready.”I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready.

“You can’t stay away forever. We need to pick out our dresses while I can still fit in one. I don’t want to get married in a tent.”

“You won’t.”

“I can’t be walking down the aisle if I’m the size of a whale.”

“Please, you’re too tiny to look like a whale.”

“Have you seen the size of my fiancé? I’m pretty sure my stretchmarks will have stretchmarks from carrying his giant-arse kid in my stomach. I’m going to have to walk around holding up a wide-load sign.”

I roll my lips to muffle my laugh. “You’ll still be beautiful no matter how big you get.”

“Aww, thanks. You’re a good friend, Cass.”

“I’d rather have a friend with two chins than two faces.”

“God, I miss you. You better be back in time for my wedding, biatch, I’ll never forgive you if you’re not. I can’t get married without my matron of honour by my side … unless—”

“I’ll be there,” I growl, cutting her off. “If you even think of replacing me, I’ll murder you in your sleep, chop you up into little pieces and feed you to Chris P Bacon, that pig will eat anything.”

“I’m going to talk to Brooke today and see if it’s possible to bring the date forward. If it’s not, we may have to find another location.”

“It’ll all work itself out, Jaz. Now tell me, what’s going on with Blake?”

“He came home from school yesterday with a black eye.”

I gasp. “Oh my God.”

“I kept him home today, and Mason has an appointment with the school principal this afternoon. We’re not sending him back there until we know he’s going to be safe.”

“That’s good. Poor little guy.”

“I know, it breaks my heart. He’s taking it like a trooper, but I hate that for him. He’s been through so much in his short life. I cried myself to sleep last night.”

“Aww, Jazzie. I’m sorry. I wish I could slide my arms through the phone and hug you.”

“I wish that too.”

I blow out a puff of air and steal my shoulders before asking the question I wanted to know the most. “And Connor?”

“He’s a mess, Cass. He’s not taking it well at all.”

“He read the letter?”

“No. Mason went over there last night to try and cheer him up. He said the letter was still sitting on the table unopened.”

A sense of foreboding settles over me as I chew what’s left of my thumb nail. “Jaz, I need you to promise me something.”

“It depends what it is … it’s not illegal is it?”

“Of course not. I want you to be with Connor when he reads the letter. If he’s falling apart now, I’d hate to see what he’s going to be like when he learns the whole truth.”