Shattered: Shelly's Struggles - All We Are Series

Chapter 1

Jack's POV

I came home to a quiet house. It wasn't unusual, but that concerned me.

"Lia? Honey, you home?"

"In here," came a faint reply from the kitchen.

I smiled to myself as I kicked off my shoes. 'She got out of bed today.'

"Hey babe," I greeted her. She sat at the kitchen table looking at a bunch of papers. "What's all this?"

"What do you think about Elliot?"

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Who's this Elliot? Should I be concerned?"

Lia laughed. It was a beautiful sound. "Not like that, Jack!"

"I haven't heard your laugh in forever. Please don't ever stop," I said as I gave her a peck on the cheek.

"I think Elliot for a boy," Lia hinted.

"For a boy?" I looked at her questioningly, raising an eyebrow. 'Could it be? Was Lia...'

"I'm pregnant!"

Three Months Later

The house was quiet when I came home from work. It was five, but I didn't hear Lia moving around in the kitchen and cooking as she used to do.

"Lia? Where are you?" I called out. There was no response.

I sighed and kicked off my shoes, checking the bedroom first. Surprisingly, my wife wasn't there. Puzzled, I exited and started to go to the kitchen. That's when I saw her in the living room. Lia sat staring out the window, watching a car pass down the road and kids play across the street. I was surprised that I hadn't seen her when I drove up.

"Lia?" I called out softly as I came up from behind her.

Lia half turned from her perch on the window seat, looking towards me but not quite seeing me. I frowned, my shoulders drooping. I gently reached down and touched her shoulder.

"I think you should come away from the window. Come have dinner."

"I'm a grown woman, Jack. You don't need to tell me what to do," Lia argued, but it wasn't with much conviction. Her voice held so much sadness, and I wanted to cry at the sound of it.

'Keep it together, Jack. Keep it together for your wife.'

I reached down and scooped Lia up, forcing her to look away from the window. Lia didn't argue; she just hung limply from my arms. It wasn't a surprise, but it was disappointing. I pulled her head into my chest. We walked over to another chair. I sat down, making sure to face Lia away from the window.

As per our daily routine, I rocked Lia as one would a baby. She was silent for a few minutes, but then she started sobbing. My heart was breaking at every second of it. It killed me that there was nothing I could do but hold her and attempt to comfort her.

But there was no comforting to be had.

Picture above - Edward Watts as Jack Evans