Chapter 20
I woke up to the soft warmth of Nathan beside me, his arms wrapped securely around my waist. The steady rise and fall of his chest, the heat of his body against mine–it all made me feel safe, cocooned in a rare kind of peace.
A small smile touched my lips as I took in his sleeping face, the usual sharpness of his features softened in slumber
“Good morning” I whispered, careful not to disturb him
But Nathan didn’t stir. His breaths remained deep and even, his grip on me unwavering. I let out a quiet laugh, charmed by the innocence of his expression…
I shifted slightly, attempting to free myself from his hold, but he only tightened his embrace, trapping me against him.
“Good moming,” I tried again, this time a little louder nudging him gently.
This time, his eyes fluttered open, still hazy with sleep. A slow lary smile curved his lips as he took in the sight of me in his arms. “Good morning,” he murmured, pressing a soft kiss to my cheek.!!
I smiled, savoring the moment. “Good moming echoed, basking in the quiet intimacy between us
For a while, we simply lay there, wrapped in each other’s warmth, no words needed.!!
Eventually, Nathan starred, stretching before pulling me up with him. “Come on, let’s have breakfast,” he said, his voice still thick with
sleep.
I laughed softly and nodded, following him into the kitchen.
Nathan moved with practiced ease, retrieving eggs, bread, and cheese from the fridge. I settled onto a chair, watching as he cracked. the eggs into a pan.
them
His movements were fluid, confident. I had never thought much about his cooking skills before, but now I couldn’t help but admire
“I didn’t know you could cook” Imused, watching him flip an egg effortlessly
Nathan smirked, casting me a playful glance. “Thanks for the compliment.
Soon, breakfast was ready. Nathan served me a plate of food, along with a glass of milk–pregnant milk
I arched a brow at him, and he merely shrugged. “We can leave together again today,” he said.
“Are you going to the office?”
“Yeah,” he nodded, taking a sip of his coffee. “My boss called. A client wants to use my services”
I hummed in understanding. Nathan didn’t seem to work as often as I did at my boutique and company, but when he did, I knew his job was demanding. Once he took on a client, his schedule became unpredictable
After finishing breakfast, we made our way downstairs to the basement parking lot. Nathan offered to drive me to work, and to my surprise, I realized I had never even seen his car before:
He opened the driver’s side door, gesturing for me to get in. I was just about to when my phone rang.
Mom
I quickly answered.
“Sharon, have you left for work yet? Her voice camed a trace of concem.
I glanced at Nathan before replying. Twas just about to, is something wrong?”
There was a brief pause. Then, she spoke again.X
“Edgar. I just got word that he passed away‘
I froze.X
My breath hitched. My grip on the phone tightened.”
Edgar was dead?%
That wasn’t possible.
I had just seen him yesterday.!!
I turned my head, meeting Nathan’s concerned gaze. I couldn’t bring myself to say anything, barely registering that the call was still
connected
“Sharon?” Mom’s voice pulled me back. Tim just letting you know I’m not pressuring you to-
“Where’s the funeral?” My voice came out steadier than I expected.
Mom hesitated. “Are you sure?“?
I nodded instinctively, even though she couldn’t see me. A soft sigh came from the other end of the line “Woodlawn Cemetery.”
I ended the call, my chest tight with emotions I couldn’t quite name.
Nathan placed a comforting hand on my shoulder
“Want to talk about it?” His voice was gentle, though I knew he must have overheard the conversation.X
I exhaled heavily. “Edgar is dead.“!
Nathan didn’t say anything, just nodded, giving me space to process. I still couldn’t believe it myself.
mamaruunii ady miyumny, jusi nuuucu, giving the space is procesa, raHII LUMUTIL VEHERE I Hijama.
“I’ll go with you to the funeral,” he offered. “And I think you should postpone any meetings today. It’s going to be hard to focus.“2
I nodded in agreement. There was no way I could concentrate on work in this state.
“What about your client?” I asked…
Nathan smirked. “I’m important. They’ll wait.”
I rolled my eyes, lightly smacking his arm. Even now, he couldn’t resist being smug.
With that, we headed to Woodlawn Cemetery
Not many people were there. Edgar had no living parents, and his relatives were nowhere to be found. Strangely, Grace was missing too. Did she even know her husband was gone? Nathan hadn’t tracked her down, and I hadn’t tried….
Mom was already there when we arrived, gently rubbing my back in silent comfort.
I stood at a distance, watching the ceremony unfold
Edgar had betrayed me. He had scarred me, nearly ruined me. But he had also been my husband. A man I had once built a life with.
“The nurse found him collapsed in his room,” Mom murmured. “At first, she thought he had only fainted but the doctor confirmed he was gone
I swallowed. “But I just saw him yesterday. He was fine
Mom sighed “God has His plans.
d him the truth
e truth about the babies. I should have
Guilt tightened in my chest. “I should have told him,” I whispered. “I should have told denied it when he accused me of carrying another man’s child. I should have-”
A warm embrace cut off my spiraling thoughts
I broke
The tears came freely and I didn’t stop them.
Let people judge me. Let them think what they wanted.
Loss hurt.
I had never truly felt it befor
And now, I did.
before..
I should probably apologize to Nathan for crying so much over Edgar!
But right now, I just couldn’t stop.
