held Corrie at arm's length, her perfectly made-up eyes sca

hausted, dea

appeared silently with a tray, setting down a cup of steaming herbal tea. The room was

d read Corrie had attended months ago. It was clear she had no idea about the state of Corrie's marri

resentment rise in her, but she pushed i

antries. "Mom," she said, the word feeling awkwa

on of a second. "Of course, darling.

t attack, the emergency surgery, the staggering medical bills. She watched he

my goodness. Arthur... is he going to be alright? Of course, you shouldn't be

ing her for days suddenly lifted. But the relief was followed by a profound sadness. For her mother, this

on the side table, Rosa appeared in

quietly. "Mr. Lawrence

y went rigid. She whipped her head arou

e. Why would

ng and handsome in a dark grey suit, and Bia

smile that she had not shown her own daughter. "

d grey eyes swept over Corrie, lingering for a moment with an expression of pure contempt before

, handing her a gift-wrapped box from Tiffan

gged on the last

tanding discreetly behind them. Each was pushing a

twin boys, with tufts of dark hair and chubby

delight. "Oh, my perfect gr

riking Corrie directly in the chest,

ers. He lifted one of the babies out with a practiced, gentle ease she had never witnessed. His entire d

ing up a tiny hand to touch his father's fa

had lost. The child that would

ous, soul-crushing horror, a

on's children. H

er family behind her back. While she was grieving their

lcomed them, embraced them. She had become a gr

gony that crashed over her. The pain in her stomach, which

pressed a hand to her mouth, a violen

the. She couldn't

y family portrait, from the sounds of the gurgling babies, from

d it. She fell to her knees before the toilet, her body convulsing as she b

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