at him, wondering if he really knew it was his baby. He snapped. He came after her, and for a moment, he almost thought he was going to hit her. She screamed, scared of him for the first time and ran out of the house.
Chris came to his senses quickly and tried to stop her, but she drove away. She didn’t even make it to the end of their street before she crashed, right into a tree. Mara was in a coma for a week before she died.
The doctors were surprised that Chris thought she was pregnant. Mara had a hysterectomy years ago. That was like a sucker punch to the gut.
Her funeral was pathetic. Friends and colleagues of Chris’ turned up. Brenda and her grandmother even managed to come, but there were very few people who were really there for Mara and not him. He’d never met her family, never really met her friends. The only person who wasn’t a passing acquaintance was her brother. He was a nice guy – an insurance adjustor – a few years older than Mara.
Chris had been numb since her death, grief, guilt and confusion warring within him for what happened, but he remembered going for coffee with the brother after the funeral. Mark told him how their parents were still alive but didn’t want to come. They had a huge falling out years ago. Mara had been a bit of a wild child and had fallen pregnant at sixteen. Her parents forced an abortion on her. She got an infection and had to have a hysterectomy. After that, she ran away. Mark smiled sadly as he told him about the postcards she would send him from the various places she ended up. Chris could sense the genuine love Mark had for his sister and felt even guiltier that he hadn’t felt the same for her.
Chris apologized for not taking care of her. He regretted he never really even knew the woman he’d been married to, never really taken the time to know her, and it had ended disastrously. Mark shook his head. There were no recriminations. He just hoped Mara was finally at peace. He finished by showing Chris pictures of his wife and three kids. They looked happy. Mark now even sent him Christmas cards. They were cute, personalized ones with pictures of the family on the front in matching Christmas sweaters.
He couldn’t get over Mara. Not for the reasons people thought. But he couldn’t get over his guilt for what happened. If only he had been a better man, things might have been different.
Chris blinked as he realized Martha was standing in front of him.
“Sorry, did you say something?”
Martha gave him a weak smile, and he noticed there was something off about her.
“I was just asking if I could put up this poster for the Winter Wonderland Ball on your notice board?”
It took a few moments to pull him out of his reverie, but finally, he said, “Sure, it’ll look good next to the wanted posters. You organizing it again?”
Martha nodded. “Along with the rest of the committee.”
She let out a huge yawn, and Chris realized that she was looking tired. Martha was usually always immaculate and perfect in her appearance, but today she was wearing very little make-up, and instead of her usual pristine outfit, she was in jeans and a sweater.
“You know if you want to take off, you can, it’s quiet around here.”
Martha shrugged. “I’m fine.”
“Sure you’re getting enough sleep?” He didn’t really want to get too personal with Martha, but he was her boss and he did have some duty of care.
“I haven’t been sleeping all that well recently,” she admitted and slumped into the chair opposite his desk.
“Maybe this job and everything else you do is too much.” She was on just about every committee in town and took part in all kinds of groups and meetings. To name but a few, she had a book club, a knitting circle, a sewing round and a painting class. It was a wonder to him she slept at all.
Martha gave him a sharp look. “I know I wasn’t your first choice for
Chris came to his senses quickly and tried to stop her, but she drove away. She didn’t even make it to the end of their street before she crashed, right into a tree. Mara was in a coma for a week before she died.
The doctors were surprised that Chris thought she was pregnant. Mara had a hysterectomy years ago. That was like a sucker punch to the gut.
Her funeral was pathetic. Friends and colleagues of Chris’ turned up. Brenda and her grandmother even managed to come, but there were very few people who were really there for Mara and not him. He’d never met her family, never really met her friends. The only person who wasn’t a passing acquaintance was her brother. He was a nice guy – an insurance adjustor – a few years older than Mara.
Chris had been numb since her death, grief, guilt and confusion warring within him for what happened, but he remembered going for coffee with the brother after the funeral. Mark told him how their parents were still alive but didn’t want to come. They had a huge falling out years ago. Mara had been a bit of a wild child and had fallen pregnant at sixteen. Her parents forced an abortion on her. She got an infection and had to have a hysterectomy. After that, she ran away. Mark smiled sadly as he told him about the postcards she would send him from the various places she ended up. Chris could sense the genuine love Mark had for his sister and felt even guiltier that he hadn’t felt the same for her.
Chris apologized for not taking care of her. He regretted he never really even knew the woman he’d been married to, never really taken the time to know her, and it had ended disastrously. Mark shook his head. There were no recriminations. He just hoped Mara was finally at peace. He finished by showing Chris pictures of his wife and three kids. They looked happy. Mark now even sent him Christmas cards. They were cute, personalized ones with pictures of the family on the front in matching Christmas sweaters.
He couldn’t get over Mara. Not for the reasons people thought. But he couldn’t get over his guilt for what happened. If only he had been a better man, things might have been different.
Chris blinked as he realized Martha was standing in front of him.
“Sorry, did you say something?”
Martha gave him a weak smile, and he noticed there was something off about her.
“I was just asking if I could put up this poster for the Winter Wonderland Ball on your notice board?”
It took a few moments to pull him out of his reverie, but finally, he said, “Sure, it’ll look good next to the wanted posters. You organizing it again?”
Martha nodded. “Along with the rest of the committee.”
She let out a huge yawn, and Chris realized that she was looking tired. Martha was usually always immaculate and perfect in her appearance, but today she was wearing very little make-up, and instead of her usual pristine outfit, she was in jeans and a sweater.
“You know if you want to take off, you can, it’s quiet around here.”
Martha shrugged. “I’m fine.”
“Sure you’re getting enough sleep?” He didn’t really want to get too personal with Martha, but he was her boss and he did have some duty of care.
“I haven’t been sleeping all that well recently,” she admitted and slumped into the chair opposite his desk.
“Maybe this job and everything else you do is too much.” She was on just about every committee in town and took part in all kinds of groups and meetings. To name but a few, she had a book club, a knitting circle, a sewing round and a painting class. It was a wonder to him she slept at all.
Martha gave him a sharp look. “I know I wasn’t your first choice for
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