Page 14 of The Space He Left
But other women didn't have husbands who would drop everything to help someone fighting cancer.
The thought steadied me as I loaded groceries into my car. Jack wasn't absent because he didn't care about me or our baby. He was absent because he cared too much about everyone.
That was the man I'd married.
My phone buzzed as I drove home. A text from my friend Lisa:Baby shower planning meeting tonight at 7? Sam said we could use The Copper Fox after the dinner rush.
I'd completely forgotten about the baby shower meeting. Lisa and Rowena had been planning it for weeks, coordinating with other friends to create what they'd promised would be a beautiful celebration of our daughter's approaching arrival.
I'll be there,I texted back.
The Copper Fox was quieter than usual when I arrived, the dinner crowd having moved on to other evening activities. Sam was behind the bar, polishing glasses with the methodical precision of someone who'd been doing the job for years, which I guess he had. He looked up when I walked in, his expression immediately shifting to concern.
"Harper. How are you feeling?"
"Fine. Just tired." I settled onto one of the barstools, grateful to be off my feet. "Lisa said you offered to let us use the back room for planning?"
"Of course. But first..." He reached under the bar and pulled out a tall glass filled with something pink and frothy. "I've been working on this for you. Virgin raspberry mojito with a splash of ginger for the nausea."
I accepted the drink gratefully, touched by the thoughtfulness. "You didn't have to do that."
"I wanted to. You've been looking worn down lately." He paused, clearly choosing his words carefully. "Jack still in the city?"
"Madison had a late treatment. He's staying overnight to make sure she's okay."
Sam's jaw tightened slightly, but he just nodded. "Well, the girls are in the back waiting for you."
I made my way to the back room, where Lisa, Rowena, Jennifer, and Maria had already spread out notebooks and magazines on one of the tables. The space felt cozy and private, away from the main bar area.
"Harper!" Lisa stood up to hug me. "Perfect timing. We were just getting started."
"We were thinking the weekend of the 15th," said Jennifer, consulting her phone calendar.
"Perfect," I said, settling into the chair they'd saved for me. "What can I do to help?"
"Nothing!" Lisa waved her hand dismissively. "This is your party. We're handling everything. You just need to turn up!"
"Will Jack be able to make it?" asked Maria, pen poised over her planning notebook. "We wanted to make sure we schedule around his availability."
The question hung in the air, and I felt the familiar weight of having to explain Jack's schedule, his priorities, his absence.
"He'll do his best," I said carefully. "You know he's been helping a friend through some medical issues, so his schedule has been unpredictable."
"Oh, that's right," said Jennifer. "Madison something, isn't it? The woman who came back to town?"
I nodded, wondering how much these women knew, how much they'd heard through the Willowbrook gossip network.Did they know Madison was Jack's ex-girlfriend? I hadn't asked him about it. Partly because I trusted him, and partly because he'd hardly been home in the last few weeks. We'd barely managed more than a hello here and there.
"Cancer, right?" Lisa's voice was sympathetic. "That's so awful. And so good of Jack to help her."
"It is," I agreed. "She doesn't have family here, so Jack's been driving her to treatments and appointments."
"That's a big drain on his time," said Maria. "Those treatments can take all day sometimes."
I just shrugged, feeling the need to defend him but not knowing how. "That's the kind of person Jack is."
"He's the best kind of person," Lisa chimed in immediately, her voice warm and supportive. "Honestly, would we want a husband who wouldn't help a friend in that situation? That's our Jack. Always the first one there when someone needs help. Madison is lucky to have his support."
"You're right," I said, feeling a wave of gratitude for Lisa's immediate defense. "She is."
