Jack's POV
I came home to a quiet house. It wasn't unusual, but that concerned me.
"Lia? Honey, you home?"
"In here," came a faint reply from the kitchen.
I smiled to myself as I kicked off my shoes. 'She got out of bed today.'
"Hey babe," I greeted her. She sat at the kitchen table looking at a bunch of papers. "What's all this?"
"What do you think about Elliot?"
I raised an eyebrow at her. "Who's this Elliot? Should I be concerned?"
Lia laughed. It was a beautiful sound. "Not like that, Jack!"
"I haven't heard your laugh in forever. Please don't ever stop," I said as I gave her a peck on the cheek.
"I think Elliot for a boy," Lia hinted.
"For a boy?" I looked at her questioningly, raising an eyebrow. 'Could it be? Was Lia...'
"I'm pregnant!"
Three Months Later
The house was quiet when I came home from work. It was five, but I didn't hear Lia moving around in the kitchen and cooking as she used to do.
"Lia? Where are you?" I called out. There was no response.
I sighed and kicked off my shoes, checking the bedroom first. Surprisingly, my wife wasn't there. Puzzled, I exited and started to go to the kitchen. That's when I saw her in the living room. Lia sat staring out the window, watching a car pass down the road and kids play across the street. I was surprised that I hadn't seen her when I drove up.
"Lia?" I called out softly as I came up from behind her.
Lia half turned from her perch on the window seat, looking towards me but not quite seeing me. I frowned, my shoulders drooping. I gently reached down and touched her shoulder.
"I think you should come away from the window. Come have dinner."
"I'm a grown woman, Jack. You don't need to tell me what to do," Lia argued, but it wasn't with much conviction. Her voice held so much sadness, and I wanted to cry at the sound of it.
'Keep it together, Jack. Keep it together for your wife.'
I reached down and scooped Lia up, forcing her to look away from the window. Lia didn't argue; she just hung limply from my arms. It wasn't a surprise, but it was disappointing. I pulled her head into my chest. We walked over to another chair. I sat down, making sure to face Lia away from the window.
As per our daily routine, I rocked Lia as one would a baby. She was silent for a few minutes, but then she started sobbing. My heart was breaking at every second of it. It killed me that there was nothing I could do but hold her and attempt to comfort her.
But there was no comforting to be had.
Picture above - Edward Watts as Jack Evans
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Shattered: Shelly's Struggles - All We Are Series
General FictionSheila sat staring out the window, watching a car pass down the road and kids play across the street. “Lia?” Jack’s voice said softly, coming from behind her. Sheila half turned from her perch on the window seat, looking in his direction but not at...