Page 14 of This Broken Heart

I lay Maven down in her crib and slowly back away. Leaving the door open a crack, I pad back through the house, looking for my phone.

Ana’s ghost is everywhere I look. There are a few still frames, places Josh has left completely undisturbed. Ana’s toiletries.

Her baking supplies.

She must have been a crafter. There’s a desk in the corner of my room with a stamp set spread out, as though she just walked away for a moment.

The love those two must have shared is palpable. Heartache hangs in the air.

It’s clear that there isn’t room for another woman in this house. Even if she is just the hired help. Josh isn’t very good at hiding the emotions that flit across that handsome face of his.

He regrets hiring me. It’s obvious.

I’m having regrets, myself.

What made me think I could be a country girl? I was picturing bullfrogs and summer sunsets. I obviously forgot which state we live in. This is a frozen wasteland devoid of coffee shops and Targets. And it’s a solid hour from my mom’s place.

I find my phone by the coffeemaker and call mom right away.

She picks up on the third ring. “How’s it going?”

“Terrible.”

She laughs. “Oh, Erin. Come on.”

“It is. I swear to God, mom. There’s a cow farm across the street.”

“A cow farm? You mean a feed lot?”

“Whatever. It smells like bullshit.”

“Erin.”

“My apologies. It smells like cow shit.”

She laughs again. “I hope there aren’t any little ears nearby.”

I lean up against the counter. “One of them is at school, the other is taking a nap.”

“What are they like?”

“The kids are amazing. Trace, the little boy, is so sweet and energetic. And Maven is so lovable.”

“And their parents?”

“It’s just the dad. Their mom passed away.”

Mom sighs. “Oh, that’s so terrible.”

I glance at the Christmas card taped to the fridge. White sand and turquoise water fill the frame. They snuggle together, happy and totally unaware that their lives were about to get upended.

“It’s a little like living with her ghost, mom. I don’t think Josh has moved on.”

“I don’t think you ever move on, Erin. I still miss Gary every single day.”

“I miss him, too.”

She pauses. “So, other than that, how’s it going?”