Page 64 of The Fix
Leaning into the bathroom vanity, I brace myself up on my arms. There are cramps so severe in my lower stomach that it feels like my insides are trying to barrel their way through my skin instead staying put.
But am I going to let that stop me from finishing this conversation with Aria?
Nope.
“So, I have this super cute pic of Rex with the twins.” Aria’s chuckle echoes over the AirPod jammed in my ear and it’s like I can just feel the pride and love this woman has for her family through the phone. It makes that cramp going on in my stomach just a little bit harder to breathe through. “He’s got one in each arm and they’re both wearing band onesies.”
I can hear the smile in her voice and cringe inwardly. “Aria, that sounds exactly like the last one you sent me.” I snicker when I want to wince at the pain and pull in a deep breath.
“But Rex has his hair down in this one and both the babies have a handful.”
“Ouch,” I mumble.
“I tried to fucking warn him about that.” Aria laughs, and I wince, forcing a smile anyway.
God, is this ache going to let up any time soon?
“Sounds perfect, then,” I say through clenched teeth and double over the sink until I’m resting my head on my forearms against the cool surface. “Thanks for offering to send them to me.”
“Of course,” she chimes, way too chipper and happy for me. “Anything I can do to make your job easier, I’m here for it. Can’t be all that great being confined to that small of a space with Toby, of all people.”
I huff. “It’s something alright.”
“Yeah,” she drawls over the line, going silent for a moment before asking in a tone completely different than the last. “How is he?” It’s quieter, more reserved.
She sounds worried.
“He’s … coping, I guess.”
It’s the only answer I can come up with considering I don’t know how much she really knows about the man, and it’s not my place to tell the world his secrets.
“Good,” she breathes. “I was hopeful that spending some time with you would help him out.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Well…” Aria snickers. “You’re not the one to cave and give in to his stupid sh—eet.”
I laugh at her coverup of the foul language and immediately regret it. “You literally dropped two f-bombs since we’ve been on the phone already.”
“I’m trying, okay!” She giggles. “It doesn’t help when everyone else around me doesn’t seem to care that my kid’s first words might be fuck.”
Snorting, I force myself upright with another wince as a knock sounds against the bedroom door. “Send me those pics and go back to your babies. I’m sorry to bug you.”
“Pssh, don’t worry about it. Rex is pulling diaper duty because I took the call. I got as long as you need.”
“Oh,” I mutter. “That’s not necess—”
“So how are you, Anna? Anyone ever ask you that?”
I’m too caught up by the question to react at first. The echo of Toby’s fist rings from the bedroom, once again distracting me from a reply.
I’m not one of the girls. We don’t chat like this.
“Really, that’s not necessa—”
“Anna.” Aria’s tone sounds every bit of the mom she is. “You’ve done nothing but work and deal with Toby’s bullshit for weeks now. You gotta be starved for contact from another human.”
“Uhhh …”