My phone started to ring, and it was my brother. We hadn’t talked much either, so whatever he had to say was probably important. I took the call. “Yeah?”
“What a warm welcome,” he said sarcastically. “You make me feel so fuzzy inside.”
My brother had always been a smartass since we were boys. Some things never changed. “Is there something I can do for you?”
“Just calling to check in. How are you doin’?”
Fucking terrible. Thanks for asking. “Same.”
“I ran into Sofia the other day…”
My heart kicked into overdrive anytime she was mentioned. “Ran into her where?” Was Sofia going to bars? Was she going out with friends? She was so solemn when she left me. Maybe she remained just as stoic as she moved on.
“At the hotel.”
“So, you didn’t run into her. You stalked her.”
“Potato…potahto.”
“How was she?”
“Even with that belly, she’s hot. I didn’t know pregnant chicks could be so sexy.”
If I hadn’t known he was joking, I’d fly there and kill him. “Ash.”
“Alright…fun’s over. She seemed okay. Says she’s working a lot. Lives with her mom. I told her she could call me if she needed anything.”
“Thanks for saying that.”
“No problem. She’s still a little sister to me.”
Even though she wasn’t my wife. “I’ll be down there tomorrow.”
“Yeah?”
“Sofia has a doctor’s appointment.”
“I’m glad you guys are working this out.”
We didn’t break up over something stupid. We didn’t fall out of love. There was no cheating. Something ripped us apart. “We’re still having our son together. I’ll always be in his life, even though I’m not sure that’s the best thing for him.”
“It is. You’re going to be a great father.”
A great father would protect his family. I’d failed to do that. “I should get going.”
“Maybe we could get a beer or something after?”
I suspected I would just want to come home after seeing Sofia. It would be a hard day, and the last thing I’d want to do was talk about it. “We’ll see…”
4
Sofia
Spring had come early, so it was a bit warm in the city. I wore a pink dress with a black cardigan, but the layers couldn’t hide my swollen belly. I did my hair and makeup and felt my heart race a million miles an hour.
Hades would be there any minute.
He was supposed to pick me up and drive me to the appointment. It was the first time he would see my new place, the first time we would do something as a divorced couple. Our divorce would take a few months to be finalized, but we both behaved as if it was a done deal.
My mom walked in behind me and looked at my reflection in the mirror. “You look very pretty. But maybe some pearls would be nice.”
I rolled my eyes. “Mom, I’m having a baby. Not meeting the Queen of England.”
“I would really love to see Hades when he stops by. He was a good man.”
Yes, he was. I told my mother the reason we had to leave, and she understood. But she was so fond of him…as was I. He was the father of her grandchild, so he would always be around. But I thought today wasn’t the best time for chitchat. “Maybe next time. It’s probably going to be a little tense since we haven’t seen each other in so long.”
“Alright…I understand.”
When I heard the doorbell ring downstairs, I immediately felt the jolt in my chest. I was nervous, uneasy, totally erratic. I’d seen Hades so many times before, but now everything was different. I wasn’t even sure what we were anymore. Were we friends?
I headed to the bottom floor and then opened the front door.
He stood there. Tall and proud. In a black t-shirt that fit over his broad shoulders nicely, he was the same powerhouse I remembered. He had a wide chest that stretched the fabric tightly, and his bulging arms did the same thing. His flat stomach led to narrow hips, and his jeans were slightly low on his hips. His wedding ring was absent, but the watch I gave him was still on his wrist.
I stared at him for several seconds…speechless. He was more handsome than I remembered. Striking brown eyes, masculine cheekbones, and a jawline so hard it could cut glass. He was the perfect man.
I missed him.
His eyes landed on mine, and they didn’t blink. He stared for a long time, as if he was sizing me up the way I’d just done to him. I probably looked completely different. My stomach was much bigger, along with the rest of my body. My thighs were thicker, my arms had more mass, and my tits were definitely a size larger.
He didn’t make a single comment.
The quiet stretched on for a long time, like neither one of us knew what to say.
I wanted to move into his chest and hold him, but that didn’t seem appropriate anymore. Just looking at him didn’t seem appropriate.