Chapter 1
CHAPTER ONE
HER
I should’ve known something would go wrong when I broke the mirror this morning. I’ve been nervous all day—Friday the 13th, and all—but I’ve been cautious. I kept the salt away from me, so I didn’t spill it when I made my omelet for breakfast, I made sure the ladder was tucked safely in the closet, and then…the mirror.
This day makes me jumpy every year, but earlier, when my phone rang from across the room and startled me, sending the curling wand in my hand flying straight into the mirror, the dread that filled my stomach was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.
It’s just after noon when Calvin walks in the door, and if I didn’t already suspect it, the look on his face tells me my problems are just beginning.
He drops his briefcase down on the table with a deep breath and runs a hand over his thinning, dark blond hair. He looks tired and worn down, a reminder of how badly we both need this trip.
“Hey, honey,” I call from the bedroom, studying him down the direct path to the kitchen. I fold the shirt in my hands, place it in the open suitcase on the bed, and make my way across the room, through the living room, and toward him. “What’s wrong?”
He scrubs a hand over the back of his neck, looking away. “I, um, I think we might need to cancel the trip.”
My throat is tight as I stare at him. “What? Why?” The trip is our babymoon—a vacation he’s been promising me for months, to make up for the fact that the baby will be here when we should be celebrating our honeymoon.
His emerald eyes find mine, weary and filled with a sadness I don’t understand. “Something’s…come up.”
Story of our lives lately. “What do you mean? Work? You promised me you’d take the extra days off.” My hands move instinctively toward my growing belly. “It’ll be our last chance before the baby’s here.”
“I know.” He licks his lips, looking away. “I know. I just…it’s not work.”
“Then what is it? You’re scaring me.”
His eyes find mine again, and he nods, like he’s confirming something within himself. “I need to tell you something.”