headstone, letting her thumb linger on the carved letters of her boy’s name.
A sleeping baby angel wrapped in his own wings had been carved into the shiny black marble. She had thought it was appropriate at the time, seeing as how little Affonso had come into the world doomed to grow his wings before it was his time.
Even with the fallen leaves coloring up the small grave, Emma thought the spot looked a little lonely. She made a mental note to pick up some poinsettias and tiger lilies for the next time she visited.
Straightening back up, Emma hugged her jacket closer again, shivering under the wool. She was so focused on the headstone that she didn't realize someone was coming up behind her until a thick, warm jacket was thrown over her shoulders, and two hands squeezed her gently.
The touch was heavy, but familiar and supportive.
Emma took a quick breath, knowing who it was before he even said a word.
“I saw you shivering over here as I was getting ready to leave,” Calisto said behind her.
“I’m not sure if it’s just the cold doing it, or this day.”
Calisto chuckled softly. “I know what you mean.”
Emma turned around to face Calisto, and kept a hold on his jacket to keep it in place. She was worried that if she didn't give her hands something to do, she might just reach out and grab him instead.
She had wanted him closer for a long time.
She missed him all the time.
“What were you doing, anyway?” Calisto asked, throwing a glance over her shoulder.
Emma smiled brightly, hoping it was enough to deflect his attention. It worked for a quick second. “Just wanted to take a walk.”
She knew, without a doubt, that the headstone would only lead to more questions for Calisto that would likely go unanswered. She was sick and tired of lying to him and hiding things from him for fear Affonso might find out and hurt Calisto, or even her and their child.
But she didn’t know what else to do.
“Taking a walk in a graveyard?” Calisto asked, raising a single brow.
He didn’t believe her.
She could see it in his face.
“I needed a moment after the burial,” Emma said, hoping to wave all his concerns away. “Affonso is waiting for me in the car—he said something about a meeting. Do you want to walk me?”
It was playing with fire.
Affonso wouldn’t like seeing Emma and Calisto together, not alone.
She was willing to risk it on the offset chance she wouldn’t have to explain the headstone, the baby buried beneath it, or Calisto’s involvement in the birth.
Wasn’t going through it once enough?
“Sure,” Calisto said, smiling.
He offered her an arm, and she took it.
But just as they turned toward the path again, Calisto glanced back at the headstone. She tried not to react to his curiosity, but when his entire body seized as he read the name and date marked on the grave, she let out a ragged breath. Maybe the name and date, or even the baby angel could be overlooked, but the child’s parents’ names listed beneath certainly couldn’t.
It was coming …
Calisto’s questions.
Emma waited for them, but kept her gaze on the ground, especially when Calisto turned back and his hand covered hers that was tucked into his elbow.
Somehow, he managed to surprise her.
“I’m sorry,” he finally said. “I didn’t know that … well, that you had lost a child.”
“We don’t really talk about it, Cal.”
“I guess I can understand that. Is that part of the reason why Affonso keeps everyone away from you with this pregnancy? He’s always going on about how high-risk it is, and things.”
“Mostly,” Emma admitted. “Early labor is a very real possibility with any of my pregnancies. I have to be careful.”
“Come on,” Calisto said, tugging Emma forward with him. Once they were walking down the path, he slowed them a bit as they came up behind other people. “Are you even supposed to be walking around like you are?”
“Not as much as I did today, but everything
A sleeping baby angel wrapped in his own wings had been carved into the shiny black marble. She had thought it was appropriate at the time, seeing as how little Affonso had come into the world doomed to grow his wings before it was his time.
Even with the fallen leaves coloring up the small grave, Emma thought the spot looked a little lonely. She made a mental note to pick up some poinsettias and tiger lilies for the next time she visited.
Straightening back up, Emma hugged her jacket closer again, shivering under the wool. She was so focused on the headstone that she didn't realize someone was coming up behind her until a thick, warm jacket was thrown over her shoulders, and two hands squeezed her gently.
The touch was heavy, but familiar and supportive.
Emma took a quick breath, knowing who it was before he even said a word.
“I saw you shivering over here as I was getting ready to leave,” Calisto said behind her.
“I’m not sure if it’s just the cold doing it, or this day.”
Calisto chuckled softly. “I know what you mean.”
Emma turned around to face Calisto, and kept a hold on his jacket to keep it in place. She was worried that if she didn't give her hands something to do, she might just reach out and grab him instead.
She had wanted him closer for a long time.
She missed him all the time.
“What were you doing, anyway?” Calisto asked, throwing a glance over her shoulder.
Emma smiled brightly, hoping it was enough to deflect his attention. It worked for a quick second. “Just wanted to take a walk.”
She knew, without a doubt, that the headstone would only lead to more questions for Calisto that would likely go unanswered. She was sick and tired of lying to him and hiding things from him for fear Affonso might find out and hurt Calisto, or even her and their child.
But she didn’t know what else to do.
“Taking a walk in a graveyard?” Calisto asked, raising a single brow.
He didn’t believe her.
She could see it in his face.
“I needed a moment after the burial,” Emma said, hoping to wave all his concerns away. “Affonso is waiting for me in the car—he said something about a meeting. Do you want to walk me?”
It was playing with fire.
Affonso wouldn’t like seeing Emma and Calisto together, not alone.
She was willing to risk it on the offset chance she wouldn’t have to explain the headstone, the baby buried beneath it, or Calisto’s involvement in the birth.
Wasn’t going through it once enough?
“Sure,” Calisto said, smiling.
He offered her an arm, and she took it.
But just as they turned toward the path again, Calisto glanced back at the headstone. She tried not to react to his curiosity, but when his entire body seized as he read the name and date marked on the grave, she let out a ragged breath. Maybe the name and date, or even the baby angel could be overlooked, but the child’s parents’ names listed beneath certainly couldn’t.
It was coming …
Calisto’s questions.
Emma waited for them, but kept her gaze on the ground, especially when Calisto turned back and his hand covered hers that was tucked into his elbow.
Somehow, he managed to surprise her.
“I’m sorry,” he finally said. “I didn’t know that … well, that you had lost a child.”
“We don’t really talk about it, Cal.”
“I guess I can understand that. Is that part of the reason why Affonso keeps everyone away from you with this pregnancy? He’s always going on about how high-risk it is, and things.”
“Mostly,” Emma admitted. “Early labor is a very real possibility with any of my pregnancies. I have to be careful.”
“Come on,” Calisto said, tugging Emma forward with him. Once they were walking down the path, he slowed them a bit as they came up behind other people. “Are you even supposed to be walking around like you are?”
“Not as much as I did today, but everything
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