Page 51 of The Wife Stalker

“You should go up to bed.”

I sat up and looked outside. The sun was just coming up. “Why are you up so early?” I asked her.

She shrugged. “My leg hurt, and I came down to get some aspirin. I called for you, but you didn’t hear me.” She sat down next to me. “Honey, you need to get yourself together. It isn’t like you to mope around this way.”

She was right. It was more like her, but I didn’t say so. “I had a bad day. Stelli got hurt.”

“Oh, honey. Is he... Wait, how do you know?”

I told her what I’d seen at the park. “I think I’m going to call Leo and tell him what she did.”

“Don’t bother, Joanna. She’s already told him her version of events, and he’s not going to listen to yours. You need to forget about him once and for all.”

“What are you talking about? I can’t forget about him. Leo and the children belong with me.”

She waved her hand dismissively and shook her head. “Hemarriedher. Men always get what they want, and we’re left with nothing.” She reached out and clasped my hand. “At least we have each other.”

I looked at her in her rumpled robe and matted hair, the forty extra pounds she carried on her doughy body, and thought,No wonder my father left, and then was immediately struck by guilt. She couldn’t help that she was sick—even if she may have milked her condition over the years—and that my fatherhadturned out to be the liar she’d always claimed him to be.

I stood up. “I’m going to go get dressed.”

“Good. Maybe you ought to start looking for that job youtalked about, now that I’m feeling better. Get your mind off things.”

On some level, I knew she was right, but I couldn’t devote my energy to job hunting right now. If only I’d listened to my head instead of my heart. Instead of taking care of Leo and the kids all these years, I should have followed my own dream. I could have been a good lawyer—at least as good as Leo, maybe even better. I took some pre-law courses in college. After I got my associate’s degree, I was ready to go on to get my bachelor’s, but problems with Mom always seemed to come up. Some emergency or other. It was too much, trying to work full-time, take care of her, and go to school all at once. I just couldn’t do it. I have always regretted it.

35

Piper

Piper got up from the lounge chair and glanced at her watch. It was close to four, and Rebecca would be home with the kids soon. If she hurried, she could get in some laps before they got back. September was her favorite month in Connecticut—the air still warm but without the stifling humidity of August.

The water felt good, and after ten minutes in the pool, she felt the stress in her muscles begin to dissipate. Leo had promised her he’d be home early and the two of them would go out for a romantic dinner. It had been weeks since they’d been out alone together, and she was pulling out all the stops. She’d bought a new dress and lingerie for the occasion, made reservations at their favorite local restaurant, the Artisan, and booked a room at the Delamar. She was going to surprise him with the hotel. She didn’t want any interruptions to their lovemaking tonight. Evie had gotten into the habit the last few weeks of coming into their bedroom at night, claiming she’d had a nightmare. The first couple of times Piper had been sympathetic, but it was almost every night now. When she’d tried to ask Evie what the nightmares were about, the girl got quiet and said she didn’t want to talk about it. Tonight she’d have to knock on Rebecca’s door instead.

The sound of giggling made her stop in mid-lap and look up. Evie was chasing Stelli, who was holding his sister’s ballet case behind his back, laughing at her as she yelled for him to give itback. Piper was about to tell him to stop when Rebecca ran over and started chasing him, too, laughing along with him and turning it into a game.

“Come on, Evie, let’s get him!” she yelled, and just like that, Evie went from being upset to laughing along with her brother. How did Rebecca always seem to know how to handle them?

Piper walked up the steps of the shallow end, exiting the pool, and reached for her towel, but before she could pick it up, Stelli dropped the ballet bag and grabbed the towel.

“Keep away from Piper!” he yelled, running toward the house.

Was she seriously supposed to go galloping after him? She felt annoyance fill every pore of her being. Rebecca and Evie were watching her quietly. Was Rebecca trying to make her look bad by just standing there waiting for her reaction? She forced a smile.

“Stelli, dear, I’m too wet to chase you. I could slip.” That’s probably what he hoped for.

He made a face at her and walked back toward her, then tossed the towel on the ground at her feet. “You’re no fun.”

Rebecca finally stepped in. “Stelli, you apologize.”

Piper put a hand up. She didn’t need Rebecca to make her look any worse “No, it’s fine. You’re right, sweetie. I haven’t been much fun. Why don’t I run up and change, and then we can go out for ice cream?”

His eyes lit up.

“But... they haven’t had dinner yet,” Rebecca stammered.

Piper turned to Stelli. “Now who’s no fun? Who says you can’t have dessert first, right?”

“Yay! Ice cream, ice cream,” he began to chant. After a minute, Evie joined in.

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