Espionage
Angie sat on the sofa in den with an old photo album in her lap.
She slowly lifted the cover and, with her pointer finger, traced the picture of a newborn baby girl that was on the first page. She read the dedication – embossed in gold on the cover- out loud. "'In loving memory of Angela Marissa Carbunkle.'" She stared longingly at the little face, closed the book and tucked it under a throw pillow. Sadness swept over her, and momentarily she felt a renewal of old emotions inside of her. She remembered the excitement of seeing Angel for the first time. Then she remembered how the nurses had gently cleaned her up, and handed her to Angie with expressions of joy mixed with sorrow. And then, all at once, she could feel the softness of her daughter's skin, the warmth that radiated from her body…and then she stopped breathing; not a cry was heard. Terror stricken, she turned to the nurse at her side. One look into her face and Angie knew; the nurse and doctor took little Angel to the ICU in an attempt to save her life, but it was no use. The last time Angie saw her baby girl she was dressed in an outfit that her grandmother had picked out for her, lying so still and lifeless in a small coffin that was too big for a 5 month premature baby - Angie's baby…gone forever. She hadn't even gotten a chance to see her little eyes open…
That had happened five years ago…. so why did these memories still bring her pain? She shook her head as if to shake off the burden of pain that plagued her. What good was it to wonder "What if?" She was gone, Angie herself was older, and had to go on. That didn't sound nice. But it was the truth. "Truth,"Angie said, "is like a pill. Bitter and hard as it is to swallow, you have to take it. It makes you better in the end."
"I'll say it does."
Angie looked at Brad, who was leaning in the doorway, watching her intently. It was he who had spoken. "But it's easier to say things then to do 'em." He sat in the chair adjacent to the sofa. Looking humiliated, he confessed, "I haven't been able to face the reality of the situation yet. It's been five years, and you've moved on…….but I'm a coward who doesn't want to let go of the past- who's afraid to embrace the new." He hung his head. The shadows hid his face. "I'm worse then you are, Ang."
A moment of profound silence passed between them before Angie spoke again. "We're both bad at this, Brad." Then without a moment's hesitation, she took his hand in hers. "But we're getting better. We're getting stronger every day. And that's better then acting like we don't care at all, right?" Brad looked at her and saw her old optimism shining through that confident smile. He squeezed her hand and nodded his head, unable to speak, on the verge of tears. So this was why she came back. What a good woman this was!
_ _ _
Jenny sat at her window and watched the whole scene. Finally, she couldn't take anymore, turned the light off in her room, and went into sleep mode.
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Author's Note: I'm so sorry that it's taken me this long to update this story. I thank you all for being so patient with me. It might take a while for me to write the next chapter, so please bear with me. Merry Christmas to you all! Have a wonderful New Year as well.