i

ed on it. He treated me to the country club’s spa once a month while he volunteered to watch our daug

k. My soul. M

that I was one of the lucky ones who would be able

eenth and fourteenth year of our

was extremely protective of it and often took calls in another room. He was more elusive—vague, an

ess to his cellphone was just him wanting to be alert should he receive an emergency client call. I couldn’t figure out why he was volun

per-husband,” and used my extra free time to hang

smile. Her voluminous auburn hair and naturally toned body could riva

tempting to have their first baby. They’d attempted everyth

purchase—booties, bibs, collectible teddy bears, and assure her that the

she was finally pregnant, I cancelled my family BBQ

was leaving work. He was talking so fast t

rstand you...Are you crying? Is something wrong with Am

s quiet for a while. “The baby...Th

o have a baby in every way possible for years. You’re just nervou

exas in May...We might’ve had se

. I remem

job. He’d been demoted and his company was making him do all the grunt

dn’t think Barry was as serious about having a natural born

t Amanda’s baby wasn’t his. Who

ould’ve been the time you know? I think you should call

round the corner from your job. I know you two are supp

hung up and

ered. “I’m in a meet

the girls up from da

roblem. Is som

but there was a strange voice in the back of my head telling me not to. “I need

. See you

Barry hurling pennies into the wishing well,

odshot, and he reeked of stal

n a rage. But then his eyes softened and he hugged

unge and ordered a bottle of the most expensive champagne on t

ghtly overflowed. “It was always Amanda’s thing. I always thought it

called Amanda on my way over here...

going to r

his very brand at our wed

ok my

teau Trotanoy—it’s a Bordeaux...And it’s still a

rry

o drink now, especially since I’ll be

H

u telling me this.” I stood up. “

o.” He pulled an envelope from his breast pocket and slid it to me. “I hired someone w

e pictures: Amanda was shopping at a few boutiques, han

ack down. “Okay. I need you to li

I thought I was being paranoid. But then one day at dinner I happened to ask her about you. I said, ‘So, how has Via liked being a freelance marketing director? Is it better than working for an ad agency?’ She said you hadn’t worked

was trying to imply, several more to even wra

s a perfectly good explanation if...” I picked up t

to do one of her “thought-walks.” There were pictures of her walking along the Hot Metal Bridge in the rain, sitting alone on a bench—probably cry

—the next town over, pictures of them walking through the city park hand

s bedroom photo

and pretended to be her brother who happened to get lost on the way. I walked over to the front desk clerk and said, ‘My sister is always braggi

s fell dow

alesman voice, ‘Oh yeah...She’s been coming here off and on for over a year. She tips every time s

anymore, Via. I can’t pretend to be happy about a baby that’s not mine, and when I got this last set of pictures today, I made up my mind... I’ve hired a lawyer and

ying tricks on me, that it wasn’t really my best friend and my husb

never changed

y poured another glass of wine and

ut not as disgusting as the

––

tioned for me to switch sea