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“Hey,” Nina says.
“Uh…hello,” I said, not sure why she was talking to me. She wouldn’t stop talking about how much she wanted me to die the last time I saw her.
“I’m so sorry about Maya. She was a good person with a big heart.” She smiles and puts her hand on her chest.
Was I going insane? Maybe all this baby stuff was driving me crazy, but did I hear her right?
“I know we didn’t always agree, but I really loved Maya.”
I said, “Me too.” I tried to change the subject because I didn’t want to talk about Maya. “Congratulations.” I told her about her big, growing belly.
It worked.
“Thanks,” she says. She holds the little girl’s hand with one hand and rubs her belly with the other.
“Mommy, I want a toy,” the little girl whines, pointing to the little elephant on the shelf.
The girl looked like she was about the same age as Miguel would be if he were still alive.
“Okay, sweetie,” Nina says.
Nina has grown up and become more mature. She is now the mother of a little girl and will soon be the mother of another one. She has clearly moved on from Caleb and is now living a new life with someone else. She’s lucky. I really want what she has.
I bent down to talk to the little girl. The little girl held onto her mom’s leg and hid her face.
I ask, “What’s your name?”
Naomi and Nina saw me ask the little girl a question.
“Amara.” I could barely hear her soft voice; it was so small and cute.
I looked up at Nina. Amara was Maya’s middle name. I felt tears welling up in my eyes, but I quickly blinked them away.
“That’s a really pretty name. I’m Aria,” I say to them. The little girl finally came out from behind her mom’s leg and hugged me. I was surprised, but I was happy to hug her back.
“Don’t cry,” she whispers in my ear, and I rub her back gently.
Nina is smiling, so she must be very happy right now. Nina really did a good job raising her. She’s loving, caring, and open-minded, just like Maya was.
“You guys made friends.” A man who looked to be in his late thirties came up behind Nina and hugged her.
“Daddy.” The little girl ran to the man, and I stood up to watch them.
“This is an old friend of mine.” Nina has a hard time explaining who we are to her husband, but she gets over it pretty quickly.
Pedro Neizan,” the man says as he reaches out to me.
”
“Aria Benorik.”
We all went our separate ways after talking and sharing a few stories. Naomi wouldn’t stop talking about how Nina, the cold bitch, grew up to be a grown-up. I thought that buying her food would make her be quiet for a little while, but I was wrong. She kept talking and talking until I finally decided to take her home. I was so happy to drop her off.
I was angry that Nina got the ending she wanted. I know it was selfish of me because everyone deserves to be happy, even Nina, even though she was mean in the past.
I drove home thinking about what had happened in the store. Amara was beautiful and looked just like Maya. I had a gut feeling that I would see Amara Wolfe again.
My feet hurt so much that I was ready to go to bed. When I got home, I saw that Henry’s car was the only one in the driveway. Usually, our housekeepers and my mom’s car are parked here. It was nice and relaxing to walk into my house. I saw rose petals and candles lit all over the place, and soft music was playing as the lights went down.
“Hello, Mrs. Benorik.” Henry walks into our living room in a suit and with a bouquet of sunflowers. My favourite.
I smiled and slowly took off my heels before walking over to him. Henry put the flowers down and grabbed me. I kissed his lips softly and then pulled away a little to look into his eyes. I rubbed my thumb smoothly against his cheek while he watched me.
“I don’t want to wait….” I whispered, hoping Henry would get what I meant.
Henry wanted to wait three more years before trying for another child. I know he was scared of losing another baby, and I was too, but I’m ready to start a family. Seeing Nina today with her daughter and pregnant with another child made me want one even more.
Henry looked confused. His eyebrows were knitted together, and his face was full of questions.
I held his cheeks and kissed him, and Henry didn’t pull away. He kept kissing me with everything he had, and his hands slid behind my head while he almost ate my lips. I pulled on his shirt to tell him I wanted it off. Henry pulled back and put his forehead against mine while we both caught our breath.
Henry asks, “You want to try for a baby?” His face was normal and not affected.
I sigh and then nod. I understood why he was a little scared about having a baby. I know Henry thinks I’ll always love Sebastian, and he doesn’t want to bring a child into the world if I’m not sure how I feel. To be honest, I still love Sebastian, but my love for Henry is much stronger than my love for Sebastian. Henry makes me feel loved and beautiful, and he brings out the best in me. I don’t know what will happen in the future, but I do know that I want Henry to be a part of it.
“Henry, I know you’re scared. I am too, but I love you and I kn-”
Henry stops me by slamming his mouth against mine. He slowly unbuttoned my dress and put his hands on my shoulders. It slid down my arms and chest, leaving me in my lacy red pants. His lips move from my neck to my shoulder, and his hand wraps around my neck while his mouth catches one of my nipples. When he nibbled on it, I leaned my head back.
Henry picked me up roughly and made my legs wrap around him. Henry was nice, but in bed he was rough and mean. I trust him, though, because he’s my husband. Henry pushes me against the wall, and I pull on his shirt until it comes off. He bites and licks my neck while I try to unbuckle his trousers. Finally, I got it. He quickly pushed his pants to the side, and before I could say anything, he ripped my pants off. I gasp because he is being extra rough today. He pushes himself into me, and I lean my head back against the wall.
“H-Henry…e-easy.” It was hard for me to talk while he kept pushing into me. He was hurting me with every move he made. This has only happened once, and it was on our honeymoon when he was doing it for himself.
His hands suddenly wrapped around the small of my neck, and he pushed harder and harder. I didn’t like this because it felt like my insides were going to break.