Chapter 6
"What about my marriage to Theresa, Whitney? It's a lie. A damn lie," Ethan spat.
"Stop saying that, Ethan. Stop deluding yourself. It's not ALL a lie. The love between you two is not a lie. Matthew is not a lie." Her chest was hurting. There was a terrible pain in her heart as she delivered the words. "What we did was wrong, Ethan. For so many reasons. But the biggest one.the biggest reason.we both betrayed her. Theresa is my best friend, Ethan."
Ethan rubbed his hand over his eyes wearily. "I know," he whispered. "Don't you think I know? I didn't mean for this to happen. I swear, Whitney. I.I.wanted to.I wanted to hurt her the way she hurt me," he stammered.
A single tear seeped from beneath her lashes. And she clutched the arms of the chair desperately. She felt like she was falling. "Hurt her?" she squeaked. "Leaving her hurt her. This.this will kill her. I have to go," she cried. Fleeing his office. Drawing the stares of curious colleagues.
He swept his hand across his desk in a blind fury.
The picture of his family shattered on the ground. A thousand tiny pieces that used to be his life.
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Auburn wisps escaped the elegant French twist. Black sunglasses hid her blue eyes. Gwen Hotchkiss was a broken woman.
"Hi," Hank said softly.
She didn't look up. Only studied her feet. Counted the cracks in the aging sidewalk.
Hank tipped her chin up with gentle fingers. His heart clenched in his chest when he saw the tear tracks on her cheeks. Rebecca Hotchkiss didn't deserve this. But you couldn't help who your parents were. Or your feelings for them.
"Go away," she spat half-heartedly. Jerking her chin from his grasp.
He sat down beside her on the park bench with a sigh. "Still no change, huh?"
Her jaw was set in determination. "Don't you see? There'll NEVER be a change. Never," she whispered defeatedly. Crumpling before him.
Years, he thought. Years without a word. Everything the Cranes touched turned to poison.
She didn't resist him when he pulled her into his embrace.
The clock chimed the noon hour.
Cheerful children skated by.
And Gwen's walls finally tumbled to the ground.
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"Grandma," Danielle asked thoughtfully. "Will Mom ever be the same?"
Pilar put the glass back in the cupboard and turned to face her granddaughter. "I don't know," she said honestly. "But she won't always be this sad, Mija. I promise," she whispered. Cupping Danielle's silky cheek in the palm of her hand.
Danielle closed her eyes. When she opened them, they were shimmering with unshed tears. "It's all my fault," she said brokenly. "All my fault, Grandma. If I hadn't.she wouldn't."
"Mija! Don't you ever say that again," Pilar said more harshly than she intended. Grabbing Danielle by the shoulders. Hard. Her voice softened. "It's not your fault. It's God's will."
Anger flashed across Danielle's blue eyes.
From the time she was a tiny baby Pilar could always read Danielle with one look in her expressive blue eyes. Eyes so like her mother's.
"Why would God let this happen? Why would he make my mommy so sad?"
Her own throat was tight with tears when she gave the only answer she could. "I don't know, Mija. I don't know."
"What about my marriage to Theresa, Whitney? It's a lie. A damn lie," Ethan spat.
"Stop saying that, Ethan. Stop deluding yourself. It's not ALL a lie. The love between you two is not a lie. Matthew is not a lie." Her chest was hurting. There was a terrible pain in her heart as she delivered the words. "What we did was wrong, Ethan. For so many reasons. But the biggest one.the biggest reason.we both betrayed her. Theresa is my best friend, Ethan."
Ethan rubbed his hand over his eyes wearily. "I know," he whispered. "Don't you think I know? I didn't mean for this to happen. I swear, Whitney. I.I.wanted to.I wanted to hurt her the way she hurt me," he stammered.
A single tear seeped from beneath her lashes. And she clutched the arms of the chair desperately. She felt like she was falling. "Hurt her?" she squeaked. "Leaving her hurt her. This.this will kill her. I have to go," she cried. Fleeing his office. Drawing the stares of curious colleagues.
He swept his hand across his desk in a blind fury.
The picture of his family shattered on the ground. A thousand tiny pieces that used to be his life.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Auburn wisps escaped the elegant French twist. Black sunglasses hid her blue eyes. Gwen Hotchkiss was a broken woman.
"Hi," Hank said softly.
She didn't look up. Only studied her feet. Counted the cracks in the aging sidewalk.
Hank tipped her chin up with gentle fingers. His heart clenched in his chest when he saw the tear tracks on her cheeks. Rebecca Hotchkiss didn't deserve this. But you couldn't help who your parents were. Or your feelings for them.
"Go away," she spat half-heartedly. Jerking her chin from his grasp.
He sat down beside her on the park bench with a sigh. "Still no change, huh?"
Her jaw was set in determination. "Don't you see? There'll NEVER be a change. Never," she whispered defeatedly. Crumpling before him.
Years, he thought. Years without a word. Everything the Cranes touched turned to poison.
She didn't resist him when he pulled her into his embrace.
The clock chimed the noon hour.
Cheerful children skated by.
And Gwen's walls finally tumbled to the ground.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
"Grandma," Danielle asked thoughtfully. "Will Mom ever be the same?"
Pilar put the glass back in the cupboard and turned to face her granddaughter. "I don't know," she said honestly. "But she won't always be this sad, Mija. I promise," she whispered. Cupping Danielle's silky cheek in the palm of her hand.
Danielle closed her eyes. When she opened them, they were shimmering with unshed tears. "It's all my fault," she said brokenly. "All my fault, Grandma. If I hadn't.she wouldn't."
"Mija! Don't you ever say that again," Pilar said more harshly than she intended. Grabbing Danielle by the shoulders. Hard. Her voice softened. "It's not your fault. It's God's will."
Anger flashed across Danielle's blue eyes.
From the time she was a tiny baby Pilar could always read Danielle with one look in her expressive blue eyes. Eyes so like her mother's.
"Why would God let this happen? Why would he make my mommy so sad?"
Her own throat was tight with tears when she gave the only answer she could. "I don't know, Mija. I don't know."