Rosalind stood behind Dale while he worked in the home office, at least that was what he called the spare room that had a desk and very little else.
"I'm going to meet Charlotte in the park," she said nervously picking at the sleeve of her cardigan. "I could do with some fresh air."
"That's good, you need to get out more." He turned to look at her. "I shouldn't tell you this, because of client confidentiality, but since I can't get a hold of Charlotte and she tells you everything anyway." He paused as if deliberating.
"Go on, you can trust me."
"Nick's withdrawn his objection to the divorce. If Charlotte sticks to the mental cruelty line it should all proceed accordingly."
Rosalind's face broke into a smile. "That's wonderful news." She stepped forward to hug him. "I knew you'd come through for her."
"Fingers crossed."
"I can't wait to give her the news." She fell silent, releasing him from her arms, as she braced herself to impart her own news. "Dale, I don't know how to say this so I'm just gonna spit it out. I'm not pregnant. I got my period." She took a deep breath as Dale slowly turned around to face her.
"Are you sure?" He slapped his hand to his head. "Sorry, ignore my pig-ignorant question."
"I hope you're not too disappointed?" She scrutinised his face for any hint of a reaction.
He paused, running his hand through his hair. "A little bit but not really. I mean we've only just started trying, it was probably too good to be true thinking you were pregnant already."
She nodded feeling a little perturbed by his reaction. "I guess my cycle hasn't settled down since coming off the pill, and I so wanted to be pregnant."
He reached her hand and gave it a small squeeze. "And you will be, there's no reason to get upset now."
"I guess not," she said frowning as he turned back to his work. His words were supposed to be reassuring but she found them anything but.
~~~
Rosalind stood by Charlotte as they watched her son run off to play with another child in the park. Her mouth turned down, she could have been watching her child if she hadn't put it off for so long. Don't be so stupid, you're only twenty-five, it'll happen sooner or later. Still, the thought remained that for the first time in her life she might not get what she wanted.
"You know I sometimes hang out with Louis?" Charlotte said quietly although there was no one within hearing distance.
"Yeah." And that had to be an understatement or a euphemism, or something.
"Well, he suggested we could go away for a few days, on vacation."
"What!"
"We're just friends," Charlotte added looking away. "We'd be going away as friends."
She shook her head, not hiding her incredulity. "Just friends? Come on it's me you're talking to. Of course, you're not just friends. And if you are well you won't be after a trip away together. How can you even consider it?"
Charlotte looked up, her face defiant. "I'm thinking I've been stuck living in Sam's spare room for nearly a year, sharing a bedroom with Jamie. Maybe a break would be nice."
"Yeah but it's a break with Louis Kinsella? You might as well broadcast to the world that you're having an affair with him."
"I'm not," Charlotte said paling.
YOU ARE READING
Shattered Hearts
Romance(On adultfictions reading list) Can you fall in love with the same person twice? "I can't be with you, I just can't," she said turning away. "Why not?" She let out a heavy sigh. "It didn't work before when we had everything going for us, there's no...
