Suddenly

Impending Break

The house had seemingly taken a turn for the worst. At least, that is how it felt.

With one week passing since the deadline on Grace's husband returning from his business trip and inevitably receiving her divorce papers, they had still heard absolutely nothing.

Each one of them seemed to just be waiting for the other shoe to drop. For the floor to fall out from under them, or for some giant storm to come and blow them all away. But it never happened.

"He only has like a month to respond. Right?" Hannah asked Mamrie early Friday morning. "It's been nine days, he's only got twenty one left."

Mamrie, who had taken to spending most of her time at Hannah's nowadays, didn't reply. She too felt on edge. Every step she took, she was constantly looking over her shoulder, waiting for Josh to make good on his threat.

Grace, too, floated through the house in a constant state of paranoia. She was afraid to leave. Most days she called Joan multiple times in hopes of some sort of news. She knew Josh well enough to know he was not going down without some sort of fight. Especially after the claims she made against him.

Ayla felt the tension as well. She was very clingy to her mother as a result. She had gotten to a point that she rarely left her hip, or her bed. They had tried getting the little girl to sleep in a pack-n-play that Hannah had bought, but she only screamed until she returned to Grace's side. To say that Grace was exhausted was an understatement.

The added stress wasn't good for her new baby, and she knew this. The anxiety and fear ran its toll on her body, heightening the already annoying early pregnancy symptoms. It seemed apparent that this child had decided now that it's existence was known that it was going to make sure no one forgot again.

"Is she going again?" Mamrie asked, her nose scrunching in slight disgust at the sounds of Grace retching in the hall bathroom.

Hannah sighed miserably, she ran a shaky hand through her hair. How was it even possible to throw up that much? Grace hadn't even been eating very well lately, when would it become too much?

Mamrie gave her a sad look, she was thinking it too, she was just a bit better at keeping her emotions in check.

"I'll go grab A. I'm sure she is right there." She quickly went down the hallway to retrieve the little girl.

A minute later, she returned with a screaming toddler in her arms. Ayla fought against her arms, pulled her hair and threw a good sucker punch to her jaw.

"Ow! Dammit kid!" Mamrie cursed, "You've got one good left hook." She wrestled Ayla into the high chair and distracted her with a snack.

Hannah watched the interaction. Her heart ached at the change in the little girl. All the tension was getting to her and it just wasn't fair. She wanted them go back back to last week when everything just seemed slightly lighter.

"When is he going to do something?" She blurted out, completely unintentionally.

The way Mamrie's jaw tightened told her she the other woman was getting really tired of her asking the same question over and over.

"Hannah, please just stop." The redhead snipped. She really didn't mean to, but with Hannah's constant badgering, Grace's constant puking and her own brain constantly swirling with negative thoughts, she was just over it.

She felt immediately bad at the way Hannah had shrunk away from her. It was just so stressful to feel the weight of Josh's threat over her head and not be able to talk to anyone about it. The last thing she needed was for someone to go off the rails and make it worse than it already was.

The two of them had lapsed into a tense silence since Mamrie had snapped at Hannah. Ayla's cries had lessened into tiny whimpers between bits of her goldfish.

Grace emerged from the hallway, looking rather haggard, but with a tiny smile on her face.

"Thank you for taking her,"she whispered to Mamrie, hoping her toddler would fail to notice her presence for a moment so she could get a few seconds to herself. Ayla had never been this clingy in her entire life. It was new, and it was stressful.

"No problem, little nugget just needed some fishes." Mamrie ruffled the girl's hair lightly.

"Is this normal? I don't remember you being this bad with her?" Hannah asked, handing Grace a glass of water. "Maybe you should see someone?"

Grace nodded slightly, she was also a little worried about the symptoms and their sudden onslaught. Sure, she had gone through nausea and vomiting with Ayla, but it had never been to this caliber. "I'm sure it's stress, Han." She accepted the glass and made for the living room before her daughter caught wind of her.

Hannah, ever the worrier, followed, because of course she did. It hurt her to see her best friend so sick. The two of them had barely spoken since their encounter last Wednesday. At first, Hannah had thought it would be a turning point for them to become more open with one another, now she wasn't so sure.

"How far are you again? I mean, it should be time for you to see a baby doctor." Hannah was already thinking of friends with children and who would possibly recommend their doctors to Grace.

A slight prickle of anxiety shot across Grace's body. It was true, at eleven weeks, she was more than far enough along to visit an obstetrician, but she was afraid. Visiting the doctor, hearing the heartbeat would make it all very real. She wasn't ready. Sometimes she just likes to pretend this baby didn't exist at all. It was much easier to just have to worry with Ayla. There was no way she could handle two.

"Two months? Three months? I mean, you aren't showing at all?" Hannah rambled.

Suddenly, Grace could no longer handle the constant stream of questions and concern. It over crowded her brain and made her feel more anxious than she already was.

"Grace?"

"Stop!" She jumped up from her spot on the couch. "Stop, just stop, Hannah. Stop with the questions please." Her voice broke as she begged Hannah to understand. "I can't do this right now."

Hannah froze, she said nothing, afraid of setting Grace off once again.

"I am not okay, Hannah. I am terrified and tired and sick. I can't handle your questions and Aylie attached to my hip. I need to breath!"

Tears had begun to well up in her eyes as she just tried to make her see where she was coming from.

Mamrie had entered the room at some point, thankfully she had not brought Ayla with her. She had been expecting the breakdown, honestly. Grace had never been the best with feelings and the tension was bound to make her snap at some point. The part that hurt her was the look of hurt on Hannah's face. She had never wanted her to be a casualty when Grace broke. Hannah was sensitive and would take it to heart.

"I've got to get out of here." She could hear Grace mumbling to herself as she searched for a jacket and her phone. Her eyes lifted to meet Mamrie's. "Please watch her for me?"

Of course Mamrie nodded. She knew Grace needed a moment or more. She was willing to let her have it.

She and Hannah stayed silent as Grace bolted for the door. As soon as it shut behind her, a sniffle escapes Hannah.