Ninety Days To Break Your Heart

5 A

the only light in the master bedroom, b

rp, rhythmic cry pierced the sil

, a violent bird trapped in a cage. Her hand instinctively sw

d, undist

ch. She swallowed the bitter taste of it, pushing back the duvet. Her bare fe

of a forest. Mia glanced anxiously at the second crib. Thankfully, Maya was still sound asleep

ng up in distress. She rocked him, humming a low, shapeless

he hea

private elevat

ned around the baby, a protecti

even, lacking their usual confident cade

the nursery, shielded by t

s tie with a jerky, frustrated motion, pulling it free and tossing it onto t

e smell that

n stepped fully inside. The sharp, peat-smoke scent of expensive Scotch. And beneath it, clinging

ci

violently. She felt bi

ay. There was no warmth in his eyes. No guilt. Only a flicker of ann

tired," he said. His voice was ro

pered, though she didn't know why she was whispering. Maybe she didn't want to wake the realit

ive huff. He turned his back t

e muttered, loud enough for her to

tarted running, a loud hiss of water meant t

anket around him with lingering fingers. Her hands were trem

n the nightstand where he'd carelessly discarded it. The scree

ss of water she kept there. As she reached for th

e notif

der

ght, William. I don't know

ink. She felt her blood turning to slu

t of cedar soap-his scent. William walked out with a towel wrap

e phone. He didn't flinch. He walked over, pi

yr, Mia," he said, climbing i

said, gesturing to the pile of clothes

orting a friend who was having a breakdown. Not that you

repeated. The wo

to s

darkness. He rolled onto his side, putting his

a few inches, but it felt like an ocean. She stared at the ceiling, her finge

g to her husband's breathing even out, something inside her finally snapped. It wasn'