【】duced,shohel

running,painting,laughing,furtherevidehevibrantan

iheshellonthebed.hehadlisteogarthbrooksfrobr>

starttofinish,andhadaskedhielfadozeionsaboutthebaby

enhelsbestfriendhadntdenied.

katherieredtherooookingingherkeys,she

kissedraellgood.sohesbeenrubbingin

creabr>

isntthattypical.theylldoanythingtogettheirhandsonour

bodies.”

”sexforus,”jacksaid,outofthegateatthe

kofthegun.”itstarttofinish.so,hose

drahinkingonrachelspartorwasshereally

pregnant”katherinelookedto.

”eon,katherine,”heeotherthingsabout

rachel.besides,yourenotdenyingit,eansshewas.unlessi

sinterpretedthosedrathebaby.”herines

eyesfelltorachel,hesaidagentler”look.knos

goingtohappesbeenasleepinginher

bed,usinghershoofaistershaped

likeacuke.isioeatingherfrozenzui

bread.iuttingshortsinherunder

gettingfu”yes,shewas

pregnant.”suddenlyreal,ittookhisbreath.helookedatrachel,

tryingtoigihepaiouldshe

pickupandleave,ifshe”katherineseyes

rounded.

”ohno.shepregnant.itwasbefore.”

”before.”thatdeevenlesssense.”no.iwouldhaveknown.”

”fro,shebarelykneherself.things

goingoresilence.whenshe

ssedaperiod,shefiguredithestrain.shedidnt

haveaninklinguntilshessedasendone,aheit

go.likeisaid,thingse.shedidntknoto

do.”heshookhishead.”ikhsalong

”sheonthsalong.”

”idhaveseenit.”

”notifshehiostarth.thebloatofearlypregnancy

al.”jaselftothink

bahelhadlostbeforethesplit.ae

hehadsaid,therehadntbeenticyattheeherhewas

travelingorohered.thereseen

herundressedinanythingbutthedarkestofnight.

”butshee,”heargued.thatost.a

babyaffetly.ababyhis.

katherinesighed.”shetried.youriparted

feelingsie.you.”

sillfadstruggledagainto

thinkback.therehadbeenatriptotorontothe

split.

yes,shehade.butthetrip

hadbeenaniortantone.alargentracthadhunginthebalance.

tuingtorachel,hesaid,”ikeptaskingyouwaswrong.you

said,nothingterrible.thatyousaid,nothingterrible.you

hadstochpains.ybetheflu,yousaid.”helookedat

katherine.

”sheiscarrying”katherinenodded.

hedehielfreerre.”shee

ho,butshesaidsheeforfourdays.

notoncedidshentionababy.”hefeltshakyinside,evenvurruru

uellnorylozclosetotears.”thenthereripsinclose

sequence.”andanultitueforethelastone.herecalledbeing

ahatsheseedtobein...inpain.goodlord.shehad

ured,

beferkilledthetears.”e””she

uldnt.”

”shelostababyididntkno,thebecauseihadnt

sohoout”herinelookedreluttospeak,he

eon,katherialkto.tell

shesaid.”

”shesaiditiscarriage.ithingaboutyour

relationship.thescarriagehecher.shesaasa

signthattherriagework.”

”christ,”hesaidandpushedhishandsthroughhishair.”

shetellafter””ere

toseethegirls,nottoaskabouther.nothingthathappeer

suggestedshewaswrong.

sheyouriinher.”

”.

”hefeltansadness.”ahhh,rachel,”hebreathe,

liftingherhandtohise.”

”adeadiffereherineasked.

hefelttoohollourred.

”ybe.”heher

daughter.

theyhadtalkedabouthavingrechildren,buttheirfinanceswere

stretchedhthen,oncehopeofdiapers,they

ehefreedo

ifhehadknoighthavetalked.she

theonlyoneore.ifhehad

knoehofrohattrip.

atleast,rightnohatsoundedliketherightthingtodo.back

then,heplaess,so

involvedhitandhhiswork.

”foritsh,”katherinesaid,”shethebaby

eyouforthe

scarriage,onlyfootbeingfortandsupport

happened.”

”yeah.”hesighed.”hatshedid.”sonowheknew

hadaausedthatfinalbreak.notthatithelped.he

stillfeltabandoned.rejected.alone.babyoobaby,shehadgone

offandbegunanewlife.

thinkingaboutthatneadehihinkaboutherfriendshiph

katherine.”yousaidyoutheratthegynelogistsoffi

carl””yes.”

”didshehaveretroubleaftersheleftthecity

””no.she,gettingtoknoal

doctor.totalking.thereantrapport.ohingled

toanother.henlunch,thenffee.shewasvery

supportive.”hehoughtitheotherwayaround.”she

ive”katherinepaled.shegaveaquicklittletipofher

head,adisssalthatdisssednothing.

”or”heasked.

heuldseehernd.thensheglanced

backatthedoor.noonehere.shelookeddorachel.after

ae,sheretuedtojack.”ihadjustbeendiagnosedh

...