He nods. “Yeah, I know, but… I just…would feel more comfortable if you slept in our room tonight.”

“What do you mean?”

“You fainted, Brooke. Blacked out. Out cold. I thought…” He shrugs letting his words trail off.

I can see he is upset and talking about this is difficult for him. So, I find myself answering his unasked question.

“Okay.”

He shoves his hands in his pocket. “Okay, what?”

“I’ll come sleep in our room tonight.”

He smiles, and his dimple decides it was going to make an appearance tonight. I go to stand up, and Landon hurries to my side to needlessly steady me. I smile at him but did not say anything.

We move down the hall to our room. I mentally shake my head. His room. I have not slept in here in weeks and in a few short months, I will not even live in this house. We settle into bed, and I wait for Landon to switch off the lights before I take my glasses off. We both lay awkwardly in the bed. Both remembering the first night I spent in the other room. I turn so my back was toward him.

“Brooke?” Landon asks.

“Yeah.”

“You know if there’s something you need to talk about, I would keep your confidence.”

I turn to face him even though I could not see anything. “Where is this coming from?”

I imagine Landon shrugging as he paused for a long time. “Just that you seem like, I don’t know, like something’s been bothering you lately.”

“And you’d know this how? I’ve not actually seen you in three weeks.”

“I don’t know, I just, I don’t think that… If something was wrong, I just want to know that you’d tell me.”

“Landon, I’m too tired to try and figure out what your trying to say.”

“That’s kind of my point. Why are you so tired all the time?”

“I don’t know. Maybe because I’m pregnant and anemic.”

“Yeah, but Rebecca was never so tired, not like you are.”

“I’m sorry. Not only do I have to bring your child into this world, I also have to do it with the level of grace your best friend’s wife does.”

“That’s not what I’m saying.”

“Well, what is it then?”

“I just… I do not know. Just a feeling, I guess.”

I roll away from him. I do not know how much longer I can mask the symptoms, but I am not ready to tell him yet.

“Brooke.” Landon’s sigh sounded exasperated. When I did not say anything, he let out a long sigh, and I could feel him laying back down.

CHAPTER 13

Broken Glass

Landon

“What the fuck is this?” I stare unseeingly at the documents Brooke put in front of me. They are well-organized and detailed lists and charts. I read things like the safest car seats and promising day cares listed based on proximity. Developmental stages from infancy to five years old. Best organic formula. I look at Brooke, assessing. She stares at the left corner of my desk, hugging her arm across her chest. She is wrapped in another one of her huge cardigans even though it was a normal 76 degrees in my home office.