Page 113 of This Love
But for all we knew, Ava had found someone who could look her up online. If she had done that, the road might lead straight back to her mother.
Chapter 44
Ava
The book was done. I got back to the final page that read, “Time to watch the video.”
I closed it.
The man on the bench glanced over. “Was it good?”
I couldn’t answer. I wasn’t sure how to feel.
“Not good, then?”
He lifted his bottle to his mouth, realized it was empty, and flung it toward the trash can. It tipped over the edge and fell in with a clank. He arranged a dirty, torn brown blanket over his knees.
The night was getting chillier. There wasn’t anything like the man was wearing in the bag, a jacket with sleeves and a zipper in front. I could probably put on more than one shirt, though. I shifted the bag to find one.
“You got a problem, girlie,” the man said, waving his hand toward my chest.
I looked down. Two big wet circles had formed on my shirt.
I pulled the fabric away from my skin. What was that? The wetness was making me even colder.
“You got a baby, then, I reckon?” he asked.
What did he mean? My breathing sped up, like I was out of air. What was happening to me? I huffed harder and faster.
“You okay, girlie? Did your baby die or something?”
I flung the book back open. Among all the pictures was another one of me and Tucker, the very last one. I was big in that picture, my belly all swollen.
I wasn’t that big now.
I read the words below it. I’d skipped them because I knew the picture was me and Tucker.
Our last photo before the baby comes.
I let out a cry.
A baby! The blanket in my bag!
I pulled it out. It was small because it was for a baby.
It smelled different from my clothes because it was for a baby.
I was in the hospital because I’d had a baby.
I hurt between my legs because I’d had a baby.
My heart pounded. I had to go. I had to find the baby. I pressed my hand to my belly. It was soft and squishy, like something was missing from inside.
Did my baby die?
Or did I run from it?
I shoved the notebook in the bag but didn’t waste time zipping it up. I ran down the long sidewalk.
