2. The Next Day

"And that's it for today, class. You can start your assignments while you wait for the bell." Kiersey dropped the marker and walked out of the classroom.

Two girls appeared at her sides as she stepped into the hallway. One was a leggy white girl with chocolate wine hair and black eyes. She might only be sixteen and a sophomore, but she had the reasoning of an adult ten years older. She was Kiersey's favourite student in the eleventh grade Economics class.

The other one was shorter and curvier and had hair of a lighter shade of red. A black American girl with the mirth and lively bubble of a Santa. She was also on the list of Kiersey's favourite students.

"Are you okay, Mrs Lips?" The leggy girl asked, placing a hand on her arm.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good, Peyton." She produced a smile to dispel their worries.

"You seemed a little off in class this afternoon," the other girl added, pouting her lips in thought. "Is the baby troubling you?"

If only you knew, Kiersey thought. If only.

She brightened her smile and stopped to pat her shoulder. "Really, I'm okay, Autumn. And the baby is fine." And so help her God to remain that way.

Autumn pouted her lips more. "Are you sure? You can tell us anything."

Kiersey sighed, shaking her head. Autumn's family lived in the same apartment building as her and had come across her one time after Rocco's anger episodes. Autumn had been coming to pay her a visit that day and she had forgotten to cover up her marks. Peyton had been with her that day and she had had to make them promise not to tell anyone. Autumn's aunt owned a Women's Shelter in a nearby town and the girl had been trying to convince her to go for it ever since that day.

But she didn't see the need to do that. There was just no reason to leave her life behind and go somewhere to leave in fear forever. Rocco might have his anger episodes once in a while, but every other time he was a good husband and loved her deeply. 

But his words yesterday had her rethinking Autumn's persistent offer. She could run away, do it for her baby. Maybe she could.

She had gotten home yesterday late in the evening by Lyft Share to an empty house. Then she had spent all night crying her eyeballs out till sleep had gotten to her in the wee hours of the morning. The hospital number had called repeatedly, but she had ignored them. Waking up late a few hours later, she hurriedly prepared for work, hiding her physical and emotional pain behind makeup. Rocco was still nowhere to be found this morning and she had even looked for his car in the underground garage when she went to get hers for work.

"Mrs Lips?"

She brought her mind back to the present. "Yeah?" She smiled at Autumn and Peyton. "I'm fine. Go back to class, guys."

The girls wanted to say more, to ask more, but they went back to class at Kiersey's pleading look.

She sighed, watching them go. There was nothing they could do to help her. She tightened the faucet of the tears threatening to spill. 

She would find a way of making everything alright. Rocco must have gone to think it over. He wanted a baby as much as she did and would see that keeping the baby was the best thing. School was closing in a few minutes, and by the time she got back home, he'd be back and would have changed his mind. If he wasn't home, she could always find him at his headquarters. She wasn't going to let the fact that he was ignoring her calls put her down.

And what if he didn't change his mind? The question came up from a more pessimistic and realistic part of her reasoning.

Her heart started to gallop at the thought. An invisible noose of fear tightened around her. What if he didn't, indeed? What would she do then?

Kiersey slapped a hand over her mouth to repress the cry of frustrated agony that was bubbling up in her chest. 

Whatever it is, you'll get through it, Kiersey.

Assuring herself of this, she put on her happy front and made for the staff room.

                              ~••~

It was a little past four when Kiersey arrived at home, tired and hungry from a whole day of keeping up a facade and simultaneously worrying her head into a mess. 

She sighed and leaned against the wall as she swiped her key card to enter her apartment. All this emotionally tasking activity wasn't good for the baby. It would be an irony if she worried herself so much on how to save her baby and then the poor thing died from her worries.

She sighed again and stepped into the house. Maybe it was time to start that prenatal class. After she got the issue at hand settled, that is.

She dropped her handbag unto the nearest chair and trudged to the kitchen to get herself a chilled bottle of water. She sighed as she finished the contents of the bottle and planted her butt on the nearest kitchen stool. Her stomach grumbled and she yawned.

She hadn't realized how hungry she was for all the worry she had put herself through all morning. All those worries fearing Rocco's decision. Rocco was nowhere to be found, she hadn't seen his car in the garage (to her disappointment) and there was no presence of him in the house.

She would have to go look for him then. But before that, she needed to put something in her stomach to feed the baby and herself and to gain her energy back. A dish of leftover spaghetti bolognese stood out from the rest of the stuff in the fridge and she quickly microwaved it.

Nausea had begun to set in, and her first trimester wasn't even over. Not that she knew anything about the stages and new symptoms— she had never been pregnant before. She definitely was going to sign up for that prenatal class as soon as possible.

Kiersey wolfed down the improvised lunch and stared longingly at the fridge side bar. But she didn't dare go for any liquid. Her meal was going to come back up in a rush. Her nausea now applied to meals. Most foods didn't entice her anymore and she found herself craving for light or dry meals and snacks lately. And she had thrown up twice in the last week after drinking liquid of any form immediately after food.

So she grabbed a bottle and made for the bedroom to change out of her work clothes. When the food settled down enough, she'd have the water.

Immediately she stepped into the bedroom, she was hit with a feeling that something was odd. Kiersey frowned and looked around the room, trying to put her finger on what it was.

The walk-in closet door was slightly ajar, so was the bathroom door. Rocco's beanbag chair that always sat by the glass windows was gone. 

She was at first horrified with the thought that they had been robbed before she remembered only Rocco and the building super had access to the house.

Her combing eyes found a double sheet of a paper lying on the wine duvet. Breathing heavily, she made for the paper, her heart skipping in her throat.

She scanned the paper and sat down on the ground with a bump. All colour drained from her face.

"No!"