Chapter 7

I came home early. I was eight months pregnant and wasn't feeling up to a full day's work. I could have quit my job or at least gone on bedrest, but I knew that being around the house all day would drive me batty.

McKayla told me she had a meeting that afternoon and had driven separately. I called her before leaving work, but it rolled into her voice mail. That was no surprise. I left her a message and told her to call me when she got a chance.

As soon as I got home, I immediately knew something was wrong. I parked my new car in the garage and went in to the kitchen. There were a few things missing, nothing like a burglary or anything, but a couple of pictures off the refrigerator and McKayla's favourite coffee mug were gone.

My frown turned to dread when I saw a stack of papers on the kitchen table and a card with my name on it.

I waddled over and picked it up. With a dread-filled sigh, I opened the envelope.

I sat there for a long time, reading the words over and over. After a few minutes, I flipped through the papers. Sure enough, she had left everything to me. Her name was taken off the house and all our accounts. On the things I needed to sign for, there were instructions to go to a lawyer and they would take care of the rest.

As the shock wore off, it turned to confusion, despair and then finally, anger.

She had made me a promise! What had I done? What the hell was she thinking?

I stormed through the house. Most everything was still where it had been when I left for work in the morning. She took her clothes, some of her jewelry, a few books and her client files, but everything else was in its place.

McKayla wasn't answering her phone. No one picked up at her parents's house.

The tears came. I sobbed and sobbed. I wondered if the past eight months had been a lie. If I had been had.

It may have been the hormones. It may have been the rage. I needed to talk to her. I needed more than a break-up via Hallmark. I needed to slap some sense into McKayla. I needed to hear the words from her mouth telling me that she didn't love me.

Only I didn't know where to go.

I figured the only place she could be was her parents's house. That was about four hours away, but I didn't know where they lived. They had always come to visit us.

After a few minutes of searching, I remembered that we had ordered some books for them at Christmas. I found the shipping address stored in our Amazon.com account, Mapquested directions, got in my car and drove off without even packing anything.

The drive was miserable. I cursed and screamed at other drivers. I whipped myself into a fury. More than once, I had to pull over and cry.

All the while, I could only wonder one thing: Why?

It was dark by the time I got there. Don and Suzie lived in an exclusive suburban neighbourhood. You know the kind: the houses start at three quarters of a million dollars and all look the same. Four thousand square feet, brick façade cookie-cutter homes.

I pulled into the driveway next to McKayla's BMW and got out. The lights were on inside.

Wiping the tears from my eyes, I went to the door. I knocked and rang the doorbell and pounded on the frame.

Suzie came down the hallway. When she saw me through the glass, there was a puzzled look on her face.

"Amberle, what are you doing here?" she asked, opening the door just a crack.

"Where's McKayla?" I demanded, the frustration coming out.

"I don't think this is a good time for you to be here," Suzie said in a firm voice. "I think she's hurt enough."

"She's hurt!?!?!" I nearly exploded. I don't usually cuss at people I love and respect, but my emotions were out of control. "What the fuck are you talking about? McKayla's the one who left me!"

"Amberle—"

"I need to talk to her!" I pleaded. "I need to hear her say she doesn't love me anymore."

"What do you mean?" Suzie had a cross look on her face. "She said you..."

As her voice trailed off, the light came on for her. McKayla's mother sighed. A deep, regretful sigh. There was a flash of anger in her eyes, as if she had been deceived, which quickly turned to sorrow. She reached for me and pulled me into a hug.

I burst into tears again. I buried my face in her shoulder and sobbed some more.

"She didn't tell you, did she?" Suzie whispered. She stroked my hair, trying to comfort me.

"Tell me what?" I asked, gasping for breath.

"Come in, Amberle. You deserve to know. She's back in one of the guest rooms."

Don came out to see what the noise was all about. I barely saw him through my tear-blurred vision, but he had a shocked look on his face, too. Suzie shook her head, warning him not to say anything.

Suzie led me to their living room. She called for McKayla.

My love was standing in a doorway. Her eyes got wide. Time seemed to stand still. No one moved.

McKayla's eyes welled up with tears and then she was in motion.