Four: Stories of Marriage

by Nia Forrester

  Who would have thought that was even possible just two months ago? Never mind two months, who would have thought it was possible just two-and-a half weeks ago when she had come into the store with the bag for Goodwill?

  “Don’t be scared,” she said. “I know it looks terrible, but when it’s done, it’s going to be amazing. We’ll have traces of every one of those right here.” She patted her creation.

  “Okay,” Jayson swallowed, and tried to smile back at her.

  It was too soon. It was still too soon. And from the sadness, still in Key’s eyes just behind the smile, he knew that she knew it as well as he did.

  But grief and loss didn’t have a beginning and an end. They would mourn their beautiful boy for the rest of their lives. Whether there was a new baby, or later two, or even three, they would still think of Lee, with his large grey eyes, his chortling, chuckling baby laugh and the warm milky smell of his nut-brown skin.

  But Keisha was right. They couldn’t lie down and die, as much as they sometimes felt they could—or even should—because another life was on the way and would be there in the early summer.

  Summer. That seemed far enough off, Jay thought as he sat next to his wife, picked up one of the shreds of Lee’s clothing and inhaled it.

  That gave them the rest of winter to at least begin to absorb the idea of this new arrival. That gave them all of spring. And what better time than spring to begin to think about renewal?

  Also by Nia Forrester

  Commitment

  Unsuitable Men

  Maybe Never

  Mistress

  Wife

  Mother

  The Seduction of Dylan Acosta

  The Education of Miri Acosta

  In the Nothing

  Lifted

  The Come Up

  The Takedown

  Ivy’s League

  The Lover

  Afterwards

  Afterburn

  Young, Rich & Black

  The Fall

  Acceptable Losses

  Paid Companion

  Still (The Shorts – Book 1)

  Coffee Date (The Shorts – Book 2)

  Just Lunch (The Shorts – Book 3)

  Table for Two (The Shorts – Book 4)

  The Makeover

  The Wanderer (The Shorts – Book 5)

  À la Carte: A ‘Coffee Date’ Novella (The Shorts – Book 6)

  About the Author

  Nia Forrester lives and writes in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where, by day, she is an attorney working on public policy. By night, she crafts woman-centered fiction that examines the complexities of life, love, and the human condition. She welcomes feedback and email from her readers at authorniaforrester@gmail.com or tweets @NiaForrester. And visit with her, at NiaForrester.com.