Page 8 of The Space He Left
Ex-girlfriend? Get married? Jack was devastated?I felt a flutter of surprise. Jack had said Madison was a friend from high school. He hadn't mentioned they'd dated. Or that he'd planned to marry her.
"Can I help you, Mrs. Henderson?" The barista's voice brought me back to the present.
"Just the tea and muffin, please," I said, trying to process what I'd heard.
As I paid, I thought about my words at the restaurant. Madison.Your friend.I'd called her a friend. He'd nodded. Hadn't corrected me. Hadn't said she was hisex-girlfriend.
But then again, I thought as I walked to my car, I had ex-boyfriends from before I met Jack. That didn't mean anything now. People dated in high school – it was normal. Jack and I were married, with a baby on the way. Whatever he'd had with Madison years ago was ancient history.
Of course, he'd call her a friend, I reasoned. That's what she is now. People grow up, move on. Jack chose me.
I drove home feeling better, more settled. So what if Jack had dated Madison in high school? I'd dated other people, too. The important thing was that Jack was helping someone who needed it, someone who was scared and alone and facing a terrible illness.
That was the man I'd married – the one who helped people, who couldn't stand to see someone suffer. It was one of the things I loved most about him.
The next few days settled into a routine. Jack left early in the morning to drive to the city, spent the day with Madison at various appointments, and came home exhausted but grateful for my understanding. I used the time to focus on my design work, taking advantage of the quiet house to really dive into projects.
It was nice to have uninterrupted time to work. I finished the Morrison project ahead of schedule and started on two new commissions. The baby seemed to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere too, her movements gentle and rhythmic as I sketched and planned.
Thursday brought my regular prenatal appointment, and for the first time since we'd started trying to have a baby, I went alone.
"Where's daddy today?" asked Sarah, the nurse who'd been tracking my pregnancy since the beginning.
"He had to help a friend," I said, settling onto the examination table. "She's going through a really tough time, so he wanted to be there for her appointments."
Sarah nodded understandingly. "That's sweet of him. Well, you can record the heartbeat on your phone and show him later."
As I lay there listening to our daughter's strong, steady heartbeat, I felt a sense of calm wash over me. Jack was doing what he always did – helping people who needed it. That was one of the things I loved most about him, how he never hesitated to step up when someone was struggling.
"Everything looks good," Dr. Morris said, moving the ultrasound wand across my belly. "Baby's measuring right on track, heartbeat's strong. How are you feeling?"
"Great," I said, watching our daughter's image on the screen. "She's been pretty active lately."
"Any concerns? Questions?"
"Just wondering about the birthing classes. Jack might have some scheduling conflicts with helping his friend, but we're hoping to make most of them."
"That's understandable. Life happens, especially when people need support. Just do your best to attend together when you can."
I nodded, feeling grateful for her understanding. "I'll remember that."
Walking out of the appointment, I carefully tucked the ultrasound photos into my purse. Jack would be so excited to see how much our daughter had grown. This was the first appointment he'd missed, so I knew he'd want to hear every detail and see the recording of her heartbeat when he got home tonight.
In the parking lot, I sat in my car and looked at the fuzzy black and white image of our daughter. She was real, she was healthy, she was growing beautifully. Jack was missing this particular appointment, but he was doing something important – being there for someone who had no one else.
That was the man I'd married. The one who couldn't bear to see someone suffer alone.
A tap on my window made me jump. I looked up to see Sam Mitchell standing beside my car, his expression concerned. "Harper? Where's Jack? I thought he'd be with you for the appointment."
I smiled and rolled down the window. "Hey, Sam. He's helping Madison." I glanced down at the image again.
"Mind if I see?" he asked, and I handed him the black and white image. "Wow, she's really growing. Jack must be over the moon."
"He is. I can't wait to show him the recording of her heartbeat when he gets home."
Sam's expression shifted slightly. "He's been spending a lot of time with Madison."
"She's going through a tough time," I explained. "Cancer sucks, even more so with no family around to help. Jack couldn't live with himself if he didn't do everything he could to support her."
