The Bachelor's Bride

Chapter 39- Etta

I pulled myself out of the bed the next morning, feeling nauseous and dizzy. The morning sickness was starting to get a little better, and a small lump was starting to form in my stomach. I rested my hand there, wishing Jack was here to experience it all.

After getting dressed, I finally made my way downstairs for breakfast, but I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw my family sitting in the living room. Winnie was sitting near the empty fireplace, looking down at her lap and refusing to meet my gaze. Both of my parents wore worried expressions. My mother stood up and came over to me, the worry lines under her brown eyes even more evident that the day before.

"Etta. Can you please sit down for a moment? We need to talk to you."she said softly, leading me to a chair.

My legs trembled slightly as I eased into the chair. It creaked.  My mother took her place because my father, lacing her hand with his. My father produced the newspaper that sat beside him, "I just picked this up this morning. I think you need to read it."

A feeling of dread began to pool in my stomach as I clutched the newspaper in my hand. "Is it Jack?"

My father didn't say anything as I looked down at the page that was open. My hands began to trembled and the words started to blur as I read.

Last night, reporter and journalist Jack Muller was found shot in an alley, possibly as a result of gang activity in the area...

I dropped the newspaper on the floor, feeling a scream work its way up my throat. I grabbed at the roots of my hair and leaned over, squeezing my eyes shut. It wasn't true. It wasn't my Jack they were talking about.  He was coming back. He wouldn't leave me like this.

I barely registered the feel of my mother's hand rubbing my back and I sobbed. "It's not him." I choked.

"Etta-" my mother soothed.

I stood up angrily, shoving her away, "No. It couldn't be him. He's coming back to me."

My mother brushed aside a wet tendril of hair that was stuck to my cheek, "Darling, he's not coming back. Jack is dead."

Jack is dead.

Those words kept spinning around in my head.  My child was fatherless. He wouldn't come back and see our child and I would never feel his warm embrace as he walked back through the door and returned home.

I fell into the chair again, crying to myself.

"Etta..." Winnie began to say.

"Leave me alone." I choked out bitterly.

I felt her hesitation, but then I heard the soft shuffle of feet as my family left me in the room to cry alone.  Eventually my tears ran out, but I lay there, feeling cold and empty. I close my eyes and eventually fell asleep, letting the darkness take away my pain for just a small moment.

A/N
Sorry for the rather late update! I didn't have time to get it finished this morning, so hopefully this will suffice for now.

I promise I'll try to leave this story on a good note, even though the plot is going down in flames right now 😅😂

Anyways, please vote and comment and share my story! Thanks for all the support!

As Always
Stay Awesome Possums
Rosanna 🌸🌺🌵