Nem stopped walking and pulled her husband to a halt.

“Greg, this baby is a miracle, that’s all. The force was strong with us, right?” She squeezed his hand to emphasize her belief.

His expression had changed though. He seemed to stand taller and frowned as if he knew something she did not. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up in warning. Something wasn’t right.

“You see, I mentioned this to Gail at work. Remember you met her at the Christmas get-together? She said, if someone has severe endometriosis, like you had told me, then they can’t just miraculously be healed. If it was that serious, I would know because you’d be in pain every month. But you don’t have any problems, do you? Not the same time each month or any other days. She asked me if I was sure endometriosis was the problem.”

A winding hot tentacle snaked in Nem’s stomach, and she wondered if the nausea had returned. Why must he ruin a perfectly nice morning? She didn’t want to argue with him because he might see the guilt in her eyes.

She decided to call his bluff with a nonchalant reply.

“Well, let’s visit the doctor and see what he says.” She was about to ask if they could go home because she felt sick again (which was partially true because this was upsetting her) but he continued.

“So I wasn’t sure if I’d understood everything you told me and if whether Gail was right. I Googled, and know what I discovered? Gail was right, you can’t have children with that disease. No chance of healing, not even fifty percent chance. Not even two. So, now I’m asking. Did you lie to me? I love you, but this is a big thing for me. I was fine not having kids because I had you. I’m not fine with you making a decision like this without me and lying about it, Nem.”

The heat in her belly growled as if an awakening monster had stirred. His accusations, though correct, annoyed her, and she didn’t appreciate the way he spat her name as if she’d committed a crime. Who was this Gail? He’d mentioned her a few times but she hadn’t paid attention. Who was she to tell her husband anything? She didn’t know Nem and should mind her own business.

Perhaps she could meet Gail again and the woman might find her luck suddenly transformed. She’d be too busy worrying about her own misfortunes to discuss her and Greg.

And that was the thought that sent her over. A woman she didn’t know and her husband. The wild, hot monster inside, just waiting for this moment, tore through the protections around Nem’s heart and escaped.

She tugged her hand back from Greg’s, and said, “I don’t like your tone. You’d listen to… some bitch at your work. Gail! Who is she anyway?”

Nem surprised herself. She didn’t swear. Never. Ever. That was part of maintaining control, regulating words a solid step in staying calm. That one word was a catalyst, unseating a plug holding back fire now burning in her blood.