Page 93 of Missing Marcus

Gabby caressed her stomach as the baby moved. “I’ve felt alone since I arrived in Seattle. Jackie became my only friend and I miss her.”

“Of course you do. Marcus said she fussed over you. Do you want to talk about today? It must’ve felt scary for you and the baby.”

Gabby picked up her cup, sipping the hot liquid, warming her insides. “It terrified me. I didn’t know if I’d ever see Marcus again and I worried they’d hurt the baby.”

Claire leaned forward, taking the tea from her and holding her hand. “The last year before he kicked me out, he seemed angrier than usual. He spun up, returned home and focused on a damn list he left on the fridge. We no longer acted like a happy couple. I became a chore for him. When I pleaded with him to spend time with me, he made excuses to return to the base. If I called him on it, he asked if I saw the list of things he needed to complete before he spun up. After a while, I stopped asking. When he missed my graduation, he came home and got in bed. I felt the desperation in him as he made love to me. I thought he finally realized the distance growing between us.”

Claire passed Gabby a tissue from the bedside table.

“I wanted him to feel proud of me. I worked, attended school, and interned to fill the empty hours. Discovering my pregnancy came as a shock. I felt excited and hopeful for us. When I asked Scott to drive me home, I never imagined Marcus returning. As soon as he noticed Scott, he made up his mind about us.”

“You must’ve felt disappointed.” Claire rubbed her hand, consoling her.

“I felt angry. Marcus left me way before then. He withdrew from our lives little by little. He complained because I planted a tree in the front yard and shrubs near the house. It led to fights.”

“What happened when he discovered you here? How did he react?” Claire handed Gabby another cookie.

She turned sad eyes to her friend. “He asked about the paternity of the baby. When he discovered my situation, he insisted on staying here. Now, he wants a relationship for the baby’s sake. He did the math, decided it must be his, and doesn’t want to spend the next eighteen years fighting with me.”

Claire scooted to the edge of the chair. “Did you ask him about his job?”

“We never discussed it. Marcus made it clear when we got engaged, he couldn’t discuss his job. The last year, he came home physically, but mentally and emotionally, Marcus disappeared.”

“It must’ve been hard.” Claire commiserated. “Have you asked him about it recently?”

She shrugged. “Why? He wanted this divorce. He took everything away from me. He hurt us.”

“Sometimes we hurt the ones we love the most. I’m not excusing what he did. You’ve spent time here with him without the stresses of his job and you’ve proven you can handle more than he thought. Communication can open up doors when we feel they’re shut. Have you thought about attending therapy? My docket’s full, but I can recommend Doctor Hill to see you professionally.”

“I never thought about it. It only works when both of us want it. If I gave him a chance right now, I’ll always wonder if he only did all of this for the baby. He never contacted me without using the lawyer. If he only reached out once…”

“I hear your concerns. Don’t you think you should express them to Marcus? He might ease some of your fears.”

Gabby stared at Claire but said nothing.

“I’ll let you rest,” Claire said. “You know Patch came here without much hope. Serenity has a way of offering a kind of peace for servicemen and women. If it can heal a hard head like my fiancé, you never know what it might do for a man like your husband.”

Gabby struggled to rise from the bed, unhooked the wires from the fetal monitor and went into the bathroom. She felt tired, and the fetal monitor provided her a sense of security. Claire’s words bothered her more than she cared to admit. Did Marcus go through something without telling her? She recalled the last year, she rarely saw him between the job, interning and graduation. When he returned home, it felt as if he never left the job. Frowning she climbed back into bed and hooked up the monitor. The steady heartbeat of her child calmed her as she lay against the pillows.

Marcus knocked as he entered. “Hey Kassie said the alarm went off, but she figured you took a bathroom break. Apparently it happens every couple of hours. Can I bring you more water or anything?”

“No. I’m exhausted and retiring early, hoping to end the day.” She turned to her left and used the pillow he gave her to support her stomach.

“You didn’t eat. How about a glass of milk? I made mac and cheese.” Knight pulled the blanket over her as she yawned.

“I don’t feel like eating. It’s too much effort to feed myself,” she explained as she wrapped her leg around the rounded edge.

“You’re in luck. I’ll put a straw in your drink and feed you. We can’t risk Little Tiger getting hungry in the middle of the night. You want to feel rested for the shower tomorrow.”

“Maybe a little,” she hedged, not really wanting to eat.

Knight disappeared and a few minutes later he reappeared with a bowl of pasta and a glass of milk. He sat it on the bedside table. First, he gave her a sip of milk. Then he scooped up the cheesy goodness and blew on it, before bringing it to her lips. She opened her mouth accepting her favorite dish. Her eyes closed as she relished the comfort food.

“You did good today. Because of you, Matthew’s pulling the records and they’re tracking shipments and Julio’s men plan to make an arrest. He’ll be charged with drugging you with intent.” He gave her another bite.

“Good. He needs to pay for Jackie. She didn’t deserve to die because of his greed and it sickens me what he did to all those people.”

“Yeah, he does. Don’t worry. The team’s gathering evidence as we speak.” He gave her another drink and another spoonful. When she finished, he helped her up to use the bathroom again. When she returned, he picked up the dishes and left the room. She climbed into bed. Even with the assurances from the doctors, fear still lingered. The panic she felt when she knew something went wrong refused to leave.

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