Weeks After the Funeral, My Wife Was Hers

a doctor's appointment. F

to go with Mark and "

n the wai

z came out

pregnancy is progressing pe

gna

ped towards

ent to her stomach. A small,

ieved, a weak s

was pregnant. Wi

rying anothe

wife she was p

ed, a fresh wound c

my eye. Just

of something. De

Replaced by "Ava

ought this seal

A new

va Hayes, devoted wi

de me

I could hear it, would be s

This is for Mark. T

ie. A monstrou

Lily did get sick.

lood transfusi

t

ooked at me, hi

n. You're

stood beside him

Her dead husband.

now effectively

was a bi

voice devoid of emotion.

he needle. My b

have been for my

The child of the sister w

the child of Mark, the ma

child she wa

fueling th

grotesque

t the hospital

ould see Mark and

Stroking Lily's ha

vered,

a family. A perfe

septic and despai

lara would br

ver him. Mak

her. She'd

ormance of do

he unwillin

aunting the

nancy spread through the

poured in for

uinely happy for them. A

aughter, one grandchild

daughter was alive, dec

tain Hayes organized, peopl

s, Mark! Ava, y

the corne

– smiled, than

a fleeting, unre

y something

d over

Mark." My voice wa

oked at Cl

oo...

t like acid

ned slightly.

amed. "That's th

new role. The grieving widow

ound Clara's waist,

gesture. A cl

s min

into him. Pla

display of the

t the same ta

olleague, oblivi

osing Clara, and still bei

looked a

to have a brother

er-in

echoed in

d sweetly.

ned. I took a lo

s my li

aracter in thei

saw a gri

whose wife h

lse knew the