NINA. I forced a little nervous laugh. “I… I guess this time it’s worse. I feel woozy just thinking about it.” She didn’t look convinced. “Tell me what you need right now Laurel?” she questioned me. “You have to be strong, dear. We can’t ignore real symptoms.” I told the doctor that tablets would be sufficient for my treatment. “Nothing invasive. Rest will help me along with medication to handle stress and I will recover. The doctor hesitated. From a medical standpoint this situation is less than ideal since we still need to confirm your vital signs and review your medical charts. But…” His eyes moved quickly from Lillian to my direction. He reached for his pen and said slowly, “If she insists we will begin with light sedatives and vitamins.” Should her condition remain unchanged after a week I will suggest tests. I nodded quickly. “Thank you. That sounds perfect.” He wrote on the notepad before tearing out the prescription and giving it to Lillian. She must take one do
NINA Lillian, my mother-in-law, barged into the living room and burst into laughter. Her laughter seemed to carry an understanding joke she’d only just remembered about me. I stood motionless with my back toward her while my fingers gripped the hem of my cardigan tightly. I made myself spin around gradually as I forced a serene smile onto my face. “Finally found you, Laurel,” she said with a sugary voice. During my phone conversation with Marge I commented on your recent silence. So… unlike you.” I swallowed hard. I've been feeling slightly unwell recently. Her brow lifted slightly as her sharp hazel eyes narrowed by a tiny degree. “Hmm. These days you seem to feel sick all the time. Isn’t that interesting?” Why does this woman keep suspecting me? I screamed inwardly. Could someone be telling her things about me? Each step back and forth echoed with my pounding heart after she entered the hallway. Each sound of the wooden floorboards creaking echoed through the quiet like a
LILIAN POV I experienced a surge of relief combined with deep concerns that swept across my consciousness. As I whispered "Thank you, my dear" my hands instinctively moved to lift her. "We'll be quick." I helped her reach the small bathroom by both carrying and supporting her at once. The small window remained open but the air inside the room felt oppressively hot. Her skin felt scorching as I carefully lifted her sweat-soaked garments from her body. I submerged a spotless cloth into the chilly water held in the bucket before starting to sponge her down beginning at her forehead. "Such intense heat," Laurel complained while her skin continued to emit warmth during my gentle cleansing. I approached her chest to cleanse the area beneath her breasts where the cool cloth met her feverish skin. My hand descended further until it rested on her stomach. I stroked her skin with my fingers searching for the distinct scar left from her C-section during Morel's birth. But there was nothing.
LILIAN POV"I believe we need to visit the hospital right away," I pressed, my words tight from anxiety. Her flushed face combined with vacant eyes burned into my consciousness."Okay, Mom," Laurel muttered while she pushed herself to a standing position on her bed. She swayed and extended her hand to touch the wall to maintain her balance. I concentrated on managing my emotions while my heart squeezed in response.She whispered to Mom that she hadn't taken her bath yet."Can you take your bath?" I asked while keeping my eyes riveted on her shaking figure. Her weakness was starkly apparent. "Yes Mom I'll try," she answered through a courageous yet trembling voice. She moved towards the bathroom with careful steps while her body focused entirely on placing one foot before another.Watching her walk by herself brought me a flood of relief. The situation seemed less terrible than I had originally anticipated. At the bathroom doorway she reached but her head unexpectedly flicked to the s
NINAThe dam inside me broke as soon as the call with Audrey ended. Raw emotion hit me with incredible force as a tidal wave crashed over me. I entered the bathroom in a staggered state where the cool tiles failed to provide comfort against the unexpected heart freeze. Each sob ripped through my throat as its sound bounced off the flawless porcelain walls.I deeply wished I had listened to your advice, Dad! The words pushed out of my throat while each one pierced my heart with pain. Since that day I've carried the regret with me as a persistent pain lodged deep in my chest. I had always felt remorse over ignoring his advice and now it felt like an open, infected sore."Laurel! Laurel!" My mother-in-law Lilian's voice cut through my pain. The sound of Lilian’s voice acted as a brutal reminder that forced me to confront the present moment and the false front I needed to uphold.I expelled a deep, trembling breath marked by a "Hmmph" sound while I worked to regain my composure. My finge
Nina’s POV The silence was hard enough to cut with a knife. Now Drew came between us. He was breathing hard and teeth clenched together. Somehow, he found himself fighting to hold onto control as everything spiraled rapidly out of hand.” Her smile carried cruelty as her lips twisted upwards, having waited months possibly years for this exact moment. “Well,” I said, arms crossed. “What did you come here to do? Say it.” She pulled back a step and placed her manicured hand on the boy’s shoulder. “This,” she said dramatically, “is Ethan. He’s six years old. He likes dinosaurs. Peanut butter sandwiches. Building Lego cars. Just like his dad used to.” She looked at Drew. Drew’s face was pale. His lips parted, but nothing came out. The boy looked up at him, then at me. Confused, silent — too silent for a child. “I told you already,” she said, her voice sharper now. “We had one night. One mistake, as he calls it. But life doesn’t care if it was a mistake or not. Life keeps movi