either.”
Chapter 10
Elizabeth didn’t sleep well.
She had sent an emergency email to her coach late the night before and tried to get in touch with Annie, but the coach hadn’t replied and Annie had been out. Elizabeth had left a brief message for her friend.
Nothing made sense. All she could do was function.
She dragged herself out of bed and did her best to erase the circles under her eyes. A cold shower and expensive eye cream did little to make a difference. Joe had betrayed her. And she was left to clean up the mess he’d made. All her life she wanted a second child and now it was too late. But he’d had another one. Damn him!
Her eyes filled with tears.
She took a deep breath to calm herself down. Time to pull it together and go to work. Maybe she should hire the girl. It would solve the problem she’d had since she’d fired Lara.
But how could she hire Joe’s daughter?
She was just finishing up her coffee when the phone rang. Annie.
“Oh, Elizabeth,” Annie said. “I’m so sorry.”
Elizabeth burst into the tears she’d been holding back all night.
“You want me to come over?”
“Mmm … shop … need to open.”
“Open late. I’ll pick up something and be right there.”
Annie was right. Elizabeth couldn’t face the public right now. She needed time to pull herself together and figure out what to do. She stared at her coffee cup. If her husband, the man who’d promised to love and honor her, had lied to her for three years, how could she believe in anything?
The phone rang again.
“Hi,” the coach said, “I had a few minutes and wanted to make sure you were okay. You received some pretty devastating news.”
“You can say that again.” Elizabeth sniffed.
“Have you talked to anyone?”
“Annie’s on her way.”
“Good,” the coach said. “Your message said that Joe had cheated on you. How did you find out?”
Elizabeth quickly told her about Serena and her request.
“That’s asking a lot,” Carol said.
“Yes. I … I’m not sure what to do.” Tears were threatening to overflow again as Elizabeth felt her heart wrench.
“What if this wasn’t Joe’s child?”
“I’d take her on in an instant. I like helping young people get a start, especially if they’ve had trouble. If I’d had someone to help me, maybe … maybe I would have made a different choice.” Elizabeth stared out the window, as if she was seeing the view for the first time. “I never realized how much pressure there was to marry Joe,” she added. “He must have felt the same thing. Maybe he didn’t want to marry me. Maybe he didn’t love me.” Her lower lip trembled.
“Mmmm,” was all Carol said.
Had Joe loved her? Or had he only tried to make the best out of a bad situation? They’d been happy in the beginning, hadn’t they? What changed?
“Maybe we were too young, too full of Catholic guilt. And my mother made me feel like … like … a … ” Elizabeth couldn’t even say the word.
“Lots of shame.”
“Yeah.” Elizabeth hung her head like a small child caught robbing the cookie jar.
The silence lingered.
“But this
is
Joe’s child,” Elizabeth finally said.
“Can you forgive her for being that?”
“I can’t forgive Joe. Or Serena. Not yet. Maybe never. I wanted another child so badly … and he … ” The sobs began again.
After Elizabeth became silent, the coach said, “I’m not asking you to forgive them right now. I’m asking you if you can forgive the child for being who she is.”
Could she? Elizabeth remembered how it had been when she was pregnant. Carol was right. Shame was everywhere. If someone had accepted her, mistakes and all, it might have made a difference.
Damn.
Could she have made it as a single mother? She thought she’d been in love with Joe. Would she have listened to anyone who told her there were other choices? Maybe. Statistically, odds said marriage between two teens was bound to fail. She’d always been proud they’d
Chapter 10
Elizabeth didn’t sleep well.
She had sent an emergency email to her coach late the night before and tried to get in touch with Annie, but the coach hadn’t replied and Annie had been out. Elizabeth had left a brief message for her friend.
Nothing made sense. All she could do was function.
She dragged herself out of bed and did her best to erase the circles under her eyes. A cold shower and expensive eye cream did little to make a difference. Joe had betrayed her. And she was left to clean up the mess he’d made. All her life she wanted a second child and now it was too late. But he’d had another one. Damn him!
Her eyes filled with tears.
She took a deep breath to calm herself down. Time to pull it together and go to work. Maybe she should hire the girl. It would solve the problem she’d had since she’d fired Lara.
But how could she hire Joe’s daughter?
She was just finishing up her coffee when the phone rang. Annie.
“Oh, Elizabeth,” Annie said. “I’m so sorry.”
Elizabeth burst into the tears she’d been holding back all night.
“You want me to come over?”
“Mmm … shop … need to open.”
“Open late. I’ll pick up something and be right there.”
Annie was right. Elizabeth couldn’t face the public right now. She needed time to pull herself together and figure out what to do. She stared at her coffee cup. If her husband, the man who’d promised to love and honor her, had lied to her for three years, how could she believe in anything?
The phone rang again.
“Hi,” the coach said, “I had a few minutes and wanted to make sure you were okay. You received some pretty devastating news.”
“You can say that again.” Elizabeth sniffed.
“Have you talked to anyone?”
“Annie’s on her way.”
“Good,” the coach said. “Your message said that Joe had cheated on you. How did you find out?”
Elizabeth quickly told her about Serena and her request.
“That’s asking a lot,” Carol said.
“Yes. I … I’m not sure what to do.” Tears were threatening to overflow again as Elizabeth felt her heart wrench.
“What if this wasn’t Joe’s child?”
“I’d take her on in an instant. I like helping young people get a start, especially if they’ve had trouble. If I’d had someone to help me, maybe … maybe I would have made a different choice.” Elizabeth stared out the window, as if she was seeing the view for the first time. “I never realized how much pressure there was to marry Joe,” she added. “He must have felt the same thing. Maybe he didn’t want to marry me. Maybe he didn’t love me.” Her lower lip trembled.
“Mmmm,” was all Carol said.
Had Joe loved her? Or had he only tried to make the best out of a bad situation? They’d been happy in the beginning, hadn’t they? What changed?
“Maybe we were too young, too full of Catholic guilt. And my mother made me feel like … like … a … ” Elizabeth couldn’t even say the word.
“Lots of shame.”
“Yeah.” Elizabeth hung her head like a small child caught robbing the cookie jar.
The silence lingered.
“But this
is
Joe’s child,” Elizabeth finally said.
“Can you forgive her for being that?”
“I can’t forgive Joe. Or Serena. Not yet. Maybe never. I wanted another child so badly … and he … ” The sobs began again.
After Elizabeth became silent, the coach said, “I’m not asking you to forgive them right now. I’m asking you if you can forgive the child for being who she is.”
Could she? Elizabeth remembered how it had been when she was pregnant. Carol was right. Shame was everywhere. If someone had accepted her, mistakes and all, it might have made a difference.
Damn.
Could she have made it as a single mother? She thought she’d been in love with Joe. Would she have listened to anyone who told her there were other choices? Maybe. Statistically, odds said marriage between two teens was bound to fail. She’d always been proud they’d
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