Free Kitchen Affairs by Brooke Cumberland Page B

grabbed my hand and led me to the car.
    We arrived to the hospital, and I was immediately given a room and put on monitors. Liam was freaking out seeing me in pain, but he managed not to faint. My contractions came on hard, and I was already seven inches dilated. It was happening quickly.
    Two hours later, Stella Nicole Weston was born. She weighed seven pounds, three ounces and was a beautiful twenty-one inches long. She was perfect. I didn’t know that type of love could ever existed until I had my baby girl.
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    “Alright, sweetie, this way to the movie.” I grabbed Stella’s hand and led her into the theatre as she jumped excitedly all the way to our seats.
    She laughed and bounced around whole movie. It was the most adorable thing ever. The simple joy in her eyes was the best part of being a mom. I hoped that one day Drake could be a part of our family. It would be wonderful for Stella to have a father figure permanently in her life and for her to see what true love looks like. My parents were always kissing and holding hands growing up. They were my inspiration when I agreed to marry Liam. I knew if they could marry their high school sweethearts and have it last, then I could too. Unfortunately, that all changed when Stella was two months old.
     
     

C HAPTER EIGHT
     
     
     
     
    Liam and I argued a lot after Stella was born. The lack of sleep and constant worrying about money had us irritable toward each other. I would do those two months over in a heartbeat if I could.
    We tried to adjust to being first time parents. However, we were very young and naïve first time parents. We struggled to pay our rent and buying formula on top of that made for a stressful situation. One night Liam decided he needed a night out with his friends. Since it had been two months since Stella was born, I agreed that he needed some time away. Wish I had time away.
    It was after midnight , and I was getting worried. Liam normally called and checked in with me to make sure Stella and I were doing all right. When he worked, he kept in touch during all his breaks. I started to feel like something was wrong, but I brushed it off as Liam just needing a boys night out.
    I fell asleep and around three in the morning, my doorbell rang. Ugh, go figure he forgot his keys.  Stumbling to the door, I opened it, “forgot your keys?” It wasn’t Liam. It was two police officers and as soon as they saw me, they both lowered their heads.
    “Miss Woods?” one of the officers asked me.
    “Yes?” My stomach was in knots. I felt like throwing up.
    “Does Liam Weston reside here, ma’am?”
    “Yes he does. Is he in some kind of trouble, officer?” I asked hesitantly.
    “I’m sorry to inform you, Miss Woods, but Liam was in a bad head on collision tonight. He was pronounced dead on the scene.” The officer’s face went pale. I just stood there. Stunned. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t move. “Ma’am? Are you alright?”
    “He’s dead?” I whispered.
    “Yes, Miss Woods. He suffered head trauma and was not responsive when the first responders arrived. We are so sorry for your loss.”
    We are so sorry for your loss rattled in my mind for the next six months. It still didn’t feel real. Even his funeral didn’t feel real. I was numb.
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    Stella and I grabbed dessert on the way home from the movie theatre and flagged a cab back home. She had a blast, and it gave me such joy to see her happy. I tucked her in for the night and called Drake to say goodnight.
    “Hello?” he answered.
    “Hey baby. Wanted to call and say goodnight.”
    “I miss you. Wish I could see you right now,” he confessed.
    “I miss you too. What would you do with me if you had me right now?” I teased hoping he’d find my sex voice appealing.
    “Ohhh… I would be doing very naughty things to you right now. I would start with kissing your neck and caressing your breasts. Then I would make my way down your long torso