“Mom, I’m hungry.” Sam’s shuffling his feet as he follows me out of the mall toward our car. We’ve been shopping for school clothes and new linens for the inn all morning, and I admit, I’m hungry too, which is a relief because food hasn’t set well on my stomach for days.
“I know, buddy. Let’s go get some lunch.”
“But it’s not even eleven. It’s too early for lunch.”
“Okay, let’s go get a second breakfast,” I reply with a laugh and pull my phone out of my pocket to check it. I’ve missed three calls from Rhys, and one text from an hour and a half ago.
I’m needed in Chicago. I had to leave.
I read it three times, hoping the words will change, but each time they’re the same.
He’s gone.
He’s gone.
And why am I surprised? I knew this day was coming. He’s never been permanent, but I thought that he would have at least said goodbye in person.
I try to call him back, but it goes directly to voice mail. Seriously? How could he have caught a flight in less than two hours?
I guess he was in a hurry to leave.
“Mom, it’s getting hot in here,” Sam whines from the back seat. I meet his eyes in the rearview mirror and want more than anything to fall apart.
How am I going to explain this to him? He loves Rhys just as much as I do.
“Sorry, buddy,” I reply and turn the car on, blast the air conditioning, and chew my lip while I try to figure out what to do.
What do I do?
I can’t fall apart in front of Sam. And I’m not ready to tell him that Rhys is gone. I just don’t know how I’m going to do that.
I need my mama.
The ten-minute drive to her house seems endless.
“Why are we going to Nannan’s?” Sam asks.
“Just because,” I reply and pull in her driveway. Sam follows me up to the front door of the massive house, and when Mama answers, she smiles and hugs us both.
“This is a nice surprise. Come on in.”
“I need a favor,” I reply immediately, and Mama’s shrewd eyes narrow as she pats Sam on the head.
“Sam, why don’t you go pour yourself some sweet tea?”
“Yes, ma’am. Do you have any food? I’m starving!”
“You can help yourself to a cookie, and I’ll make you something in a minute.”
“Thanks, Nannan,” he says with a grin and heads out to the kitchen.
“What’s wrong?” she asks immediately when Sam is out of earshot.
I shake my head, still not ready to fall apart. “I have a lot on my mind. Would you mind keeping him overnight? I know it’s short notice, and I’m sorry.”
“He can stay as long as you need him to, but you didn’t answer my question.”
“I think I might be heartbroken,” I whisper and find myself immediately caught up in her arms, held close.
“He’s a fool,” she says simply, then pulls away and pats my cheek. “And you’re worth more than that.”
“You don’t even know what happened.”
“I don’t need to; I’m your mama. Go ahead and go. I’ll keep Sam.”
“Thanks, Mama.”
Once in my car, I immediately drive into the Quarter and park in front of Charly’s shop. She’s the only one who knows everything. I need her.
I push inside and find Charly arranging a hat on a mannequin. There are no customers in the store. She glances up and smiles, and then sobers when she sees my face.
“What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
And now the tears come, hard and fast, swooping over me like waves on the shoreline, and I’m lost under them. I can’t breathe, I can’t think, I can only cry and cry. Charly wraps me in her arms and rocks me back and forth, murmuring in my ear, but I can’t hear the words.
All I know is that another man that I cared for is gone. But even worse, the only man I ever loved just walked out of my life.
Without saying goodbye. Without even a backward glance.
“He’s gone,” I whisper when the worst of the sobs have subsided.
“What?” She grips my shoulders and pushes me back so she can see my face. “Are you kidding me?”
“No, I got this text this morning.” I show her the message and begin crying again.
“He sent a text?” she asks.
I simply nod and take a deep breath.
“So, you told him you’re pregnant and he cut out of here? What the fuck is wrong with men?”
I glance down, embarrassed, and Charly shakes her head adamantly.
“No. No, Gabby. Don’t tell me you didn’t tell him!”
“I didn’t tell him.”
“Why the hell not? You’ve had days to tell him!”
“Because I was just starting to get my own head wrapped around it,” I reply and pace away from her, touching the pretty shoes she has displayed throughout the store. “And then he went to hang out with the boys last night. I was surprised he came home without any bruises.”
“What did the boys do?” she asks, surprised.
“I don’t know. Eli said they wanted to include him in a guys’ night with Beau, Dec and Ben.”
“Ben?” Her eyes go wide and she swallows hard. “And Rhys returned alive?”
“I know. I was a little surprised.”
“Why didn’t you tell him when he got back?”
“I know, buddy. Let’s go get some lunch.”
“But it’s not even eleven. It’s too early for lunch.”
“Okay, let’s go get a second breakfast,” I reply with a laugh and pull my phone out of my pocket to check it. I’ve missed three calls from Rhys, and one text from an hour and a half ago.
I’m needed in Chicago. I had to leave.
I read it three times, hoping the words will change, but each time they’re the same.
He’s gone.
He’s gone.
And why am I surprised? I knew this day was coming. He’s never been permanent, but I thought that he would have at least said goodbye in person.
I try to call him back, but it goes directly to voice mail. Seriously? How could he have caught a flight in less than two hours?
I guess he was in a hurry to leave.
“Mom, it’s getting hot in here,” Sam whines from the back seat. I meet his eyes in the rearview mirror and want more than anything to fall apart.
How am I going to explain this to him? He loves Rhys just as much as I do.
“Sorry, buddy,” I reply and turn the car on, blast the air conditioning, and chew my lip while I try to figure out what to do.
What do I do?
I can’t fall apart in front of Sam. And I’m not ready to tell him that Rhys is gone. I just don’t know how I’m going to do that.
I need my mama.
The ten-minute drive to her house seems endless.
“Why are we going to Nannan’s?” Sam asks.
“Just because,” I reply and pull in her driveway. Sam follows me up to the front door of the massive house, and when Mama answers, she smiles and hugs us both.
“This is a nice surprise. Come on in.”
“I need a favor,” I reply immediately, and Mama’s shrewd eyes narrow as she pats Sam on the head.
“Sam, why don’t you go pour yourself some sweet tea?”
“Yes, ma’am. Do you have any food? I’m starving!”
“You can help yourself to a cookie, and I’ll make you something in a minute.”
“Thanks, Nannan,” he says with a grin and heads out to the kitchen.
“What’s wrong?” she asks immediately when Sam is out of earshot.
I shake my head, still not ready to fall apart. “I have a lot on my mind. Would you mind keeping him overnight? I know it’s short notice, and I’m sorry.”
“He can stay as long as you need him to, but you didn’t answer my question.”
“I think I might be heartbroken,” I whisper and find myself immediately caught up in her arms, held close.
“He’s a fool,” she says simply, then pulls away and pats my cheek. “And you’re worth more than that.”
“You don’t even know what happened.”
“I don’t need to; I’m your mama. Go ahead and go. I’ll keep Sam.”
“Thanks, Mama.”
Once in my car, I immediately drive into the Quarter and park in front of Charly’s shop. She’s the only one who knows everything. I need her.
I push inside and find Charly arranging a hat on a mannequin. There are no customers in the store. She glances up and smiles, and then sobers when she sees my face.
“What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
And now the tears come, hard and fast, swooping over me like waves on the shoreline, and I’m lost under them. I can’t breathe, I can’t think, I can only cry and cry. Charly wraps me in her arms and rocks me back and forth, murmuring in my ear, but I can’t hear the words.
All I know is that another man that I cared for is gone. But even worse, the only man I ever loved just walked out of my life.
Without saying goodbye. Without even a backward glance.
“He’s gone,” I whisper when the worst of the sobs have subsided.
“What?” She grips my shoulders and pushes me back so she can see my face. “Are you kidding me?”
“No, I got this text this morning.” I show her the message and begin crying again.
“He sent a text?” she asks.
I simply nod and take a deep breath.
“So, you told him you’re pregnant and he cut out of here? What the fuck is wrong with men?”
I glance down, embarrassed, and Charly shakes her head adamantly.
“No. No, Gabby. Don’t tell me you didn’t tell him!”
“I didn’t tell him.”
“Why the hell not? You’ve had days to tell him!”
“Because I was just starting to get my own head wrapped around it,” I reply and pace away from her, touching the pretty shoes she has displayed throughout the store. “And then he went to hang out with the boys last night. I was surprised he came home without any bruises.”
“What did the boys do?” she asks, surprised.
“I don’t know. Eli said they wanted to include him in a guys’ night with Beau, Dec and Ben.”
“Ben?” Her eyes go wide and she swallows hard. “And Rhys returned alive?”
“I know. I was a little surprised.”
“Why didn’t you tell him when he got back?”
