THE WIFE HE REGRETTED LOSING

, loud and angry, making Lola Hart's hand

up. The sky felt fu

sness. The fluorescent lights hummed above, throwing pale reflections on spotl

y noticed

n a thin crack in th

d was feeding soup

an was clear

oorway, her brain fighting the wor

a spoonful of soup. His jacket-designer, no question-hung over a chair, sleev

lm. Unruffle

't answered a sing

when Lola got ru

he doctor whispered th

the papers

's voice was l

. It's s

f those intimate smiles you save

chest

wled across the pillow like spilled ink. Delicate sk

h was what sto

Obvious.

anded on it, almos

she s

e said, swe

oed through Lola's s

ne

ned-Lola hadn't seen him

" he

ll night." Her voice was gentle.

ni

ashed straig

, crying, begging doctors to save a life

omeone

ler, the hallway clo

open. The hinges crea

, eyes wide for

ol

entional. She took her in: hospital gown hanging off L

Not awkward or worried

stomach

band. The man who'd promised

her voice small, thin,

her slowly-but there was

y. Just the faintes

of bed?" He sou

ned by how little

s dead. Because she'd woken up to emptiness.

went to t

is

ion just

The pregnant woman watched

el s

cult, as if this conversation just topped

is Van

tung in Lo

la's voic

ed for bare

gnant with

went silent. Ears ringi

nt. Hi

t her divorce pap

ghts, the business trips, the perfume on his shirt he'd dismi

y. Something bur

er voice coming apart, "I

s cracke

idn't ev

, barely holding it together. "I was bl

idn't mi

ere I was

pure ice. It sl

ipped out-

ou were

louder now. An

belly, shaking. "I pushed our dead baby out of my body this

Awkward a

ed, hand over

most sweet-she

ed fast

e's upsetti

woman's fake concern w

ite. "But you really shouldn't stress yourself rig

oom tilted in

ise your voice," he hissed. "You

ed like

After ev

m. "Dramatic?" He

up bowl, set it asi

't working," he said, voice co

f loving him. Faithful. Ju

, turned back. Divorce papers. She knew them; she

rain thrashing

othed them out, pushed

s level, fin

de, Lola realized her life, a