Winona was sitting in the kitchen of her new duplex, setting the table for her, Marcus, James, and Leona. It was a dinner party, the first one since suffering her second miscarriage.
Seeing Rosie put her in good spirits. The little girl had that effect; she was the perfect mix of empathetic Leona and fun-loving James.
Thirty minutes passed. Winona looked at the clock. James and Leona were supposed to have arrived ten minutes ago, but they hadn't even texted to say they had left the house. Winona frowned. She decided she'd give them a few more minutes.
Thirty more minutes passed. Now Winona was worried. "Marcus?" She called. He was in the living room. "Can you drive over to James' and check in? They're not answering my texts."
Marcus did.
Yet another thirty minutes passed. Finally, Marcus came back. "Hey—" Winona started, turning the corner to greet them, but she paused when she saw her husband standing alone, pale. Her heart dropped. "What happened?"
"I knocked on the door, but they didn't answer," Marcus told her, voice hoarse. "The door was unlocked, so I went in and—"
"Stop," Winona whispered, shaking her head. "I... I don't want to know."
She didn't.
The drive to the hospital was quiet, except for Marcus' quick calls to his in-laws and the Fernandezes. Winona felt numb.
A social worker was waiting for them when they arrived. He wanted to tell them what happened, but Winona couldn't bear to hear it. She left Marcus with him and sat down in a seat.
"LEONA!" A horrible scream rang out. It was the Fernandez's, running in with wild, desperate eyes. Winona turned away when they found out, covering her mouth with her hand when she heard Leona's father scream.
Moments later, Cher walked in, pale as a ghost, with her parents close behind her. They had heard the screams from the parking lot. When Winona looked at them, their suspicions were confirmed. Like a tower of cards, Mrs. Yang crumpled down to all fours, letting out a horrible wail as she did so. Mr. Yang didn't move. He was too frozen in grief and regret.
YOU ARE READING
James + Leona
Short Story🌊 On a busy day at the beach in California, James Yang meets Leona Fernandez. 🌊 They fall in love and decide to start a life together, despite their family's lack of approval. 🌊 Will they make it together, or fall apart? ▪️▪️▪️ 🌊 Inspired by...
