Excerpt #3:
Sitting on her knees, Annie lifted
Emily Ann’s favorite stuffed animal from the rocking chair. After one last
snuggle and sniff of baby powder mingled with other baby smells, she placed it the
in the box and sealed it with packing tape. On the outside, she labeled the box—baby
clothes and stuffed toys. She rocked back and crouched on the balls of her feet.
There, she’d done it. It had taken her almost two years to get to this point
and pack up Emily Ann’s things. Their precious daughter had lived just over six
months when SIDs took her, shaking Annie’s sanity and almost ruining her and
Stu’s marriage. It had taken over a year of intensive counseling for Annie to
recover.
She stood, pushed the box out the door
and with a shove, let it slide down the stairway. As the carton thumped its way
down, Annie gave a nudge with her foot when it slowed. At the bottom, she
stacked it on top of one of the others. It was the last one. She strode to the
fireplace and lifted the photo of Emily Ann from the mantle. Grinning, with two
bottom teeth shining, she was the image of good health. Those beautiful red
curls; she’d inherited the color from Stu and the curls from Annie. Annie could
almost feel their springy texture. Her baby’s blue eyes looked out with such
delight, as if the world and everyone in it was her plaything, which wasn’t far
from the truth. Tears pooled in Annie’s eyes, and she struggled to not let them
fall. She didn’t know why God had taken her baby, but he had, and Annie had to
move past her grief and enjoy the memories.
The wall clock in the hall chimed five o'clock.
She’d better start dinner. Stu would be home early tonight. Stu had teased,
“Maybe I have a long lost ancestor who’s left us an old house that’s haunted.”
Yeah right, more likely the casino was being sued, and they wanted Stu there to
take charge of the paperwork or maybe testify against them.
The front door opened and Stu entered
the entry hall and dropped his keys in the ceramic bowl on the small cabinet by
the door. He set his briefcase on the floor.
His tie was unfastened; his jacket was folded
over one arm. It must be over 100 degrees outside—not a fun day to navigate the
airport inside or out. She hurried over to relieve him of his coat. “I’ll take
that.”
He leaned down and gave her a brief
kiss. “Thanks.” She laid his coat across the back of the sofa for him to take
upstairs later. He strode to the bar and fixed a drink. After taking a swallow,
he raised his glass. “You want one?”
Surprised at his actions—they rarely
drank—she shook her head. “No, thank you.”
He nodded and tossed back the remainder
of his drink, and set the empty glass on the tray, and turned to her.
Worry lines that hadn’t been there this
morning etched Stu’s mouth and eyes. A muscle in his jaw clenched. She was
startled. Annie walked toward him and enfolded him in her arms. "What's
wrong, Stu?"
His arms locked around her like steel
bands, and he dropped his forehead to hers. His voice hoarse, he rasped out,
"No matter what I tell you today, Annie, remember I've loved you since the
day I laid eyes on you and always will."
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Happy Reading!
Linda
www.lindalaroque.com
