April 7th
Part 5Disclaimer: Still only owning Norah.
A/N-Thank you, My Dear Beta aka Evie.
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Joanne began to shiver, the cold air chilling her. This must have been a pregnancy symptom, because she didn't remember April air ever bothering her this much.
"Here," Mark murmured, wrapping his scarf around her neck. "Take my scarf." Joanne silently thanked him.
Her stomach was still jumpy, but she attributed this to nerves. She was anxious to see Maureen's daughter's grave.
"Maur," she murmured, clutching her stomach. "I think I'm going to puke." She doubled over, and began to vomit in the butter. Maureen slowly rubbed her back.
Her forehead was drenched in sweat. She struggled to control her cramping stomach. How was she supposed to live with this for the next few weeks?
"It's okay." Maureen murmured, still rubbing her back. "You'll be fine. It's okay,"
"If I didn't know any better, I'd swear she was pregnant." Mark murmured. Catching her breath, Joanne glanced up and nodded slowly. "You're pregnant?"
"Nine and a half weeks," she murmured. "I am nine and a half weeks pregnant." Mark stiffened. "Ugh,"
The black iron cemetery gates slid open. Joanne struggled to move, without getting sick. She could never defile a grave, even if it was by complete accident.
"Mark?" Maureen called. He turned, still visibly stiff. "What is it?" He moved forward, his lips pursed. Joanne jerked around and noticed Maureen's reaction. "What's wrong?" He glowered at her. "Mark…why are you so angry?"
"How could you?" he growled, grabbing her by the shoulder. "How could you?" Suddenly, his face crumbled in a fit of pain. "You're replacing our Norah! And what about the baby?" Joanne was baffled. What baby? "The one you never told anyone about. Yes, Joanne. She's keeping another secret from you. The day April died, she had an early miscarriage." Maureen recoiled as if she had been smacked in the face. "You never loved her did you?" He spat on the ground. "That's why you're replacing her." Joanne stepped forward and slapped him.
"You need to calm your ass down!" she shouted, staring him down. "Where the hell do you get off saying Maureen didn't love her babies? I don't care that she didn't tell me about her miscarriage. I understand her need to keep it a secret." She sighed, and looked away.
Mark stormed off. Maureen collapsed into Joanne's arms. "I'm sorry, Baby Girl. I should have told you about the miscarriage," she sobbed. "Mark and I never told anyone. I was only five weeks along. I didn't want it to rule my life the way losing Norah had." She watched him, muttering to the tombstone. "Forgive me?" Joanne gently cupped Maureen's cheek.
"I'm not going to forgive you…" Maureen looked crestfallen. "Because you've done nothing wrong." She gripped Maureen's hand, and dried her eyes with her sleeve. "Stop crying, Darling." Maureen nodded.
"Mark'll come around," Maureen said. "He will. Would you do me the honor of reading this year's letter?"
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