Free Mending by R. L. Griffin Page A

trash can. “I gotta go,” she mumbled into the phone and hung up.
    Why was Patrick being careless and mean? That wasn’t like him. He’d been her rock in the past, but maybe she needed to be the rock for him, to give him what he needed from her for once. Stella’s life was about to get even more insane than the past few years. As much as she wanted to ignore what was coming, she couldn’t. She would step up. She was alive, which was more than what she expected and due solely to Patrick. She would make it up to him.
    She mindlessly doodled on a legal pad that had the press statement that she would be giving this afternoon. Stella sighed and looked out the window. She inhaled deeply and picked up her phone.
    "Dr. Baxter, this is Stella Murphy. I'd leave you my birthdate, but I’m pretty sure you remember me. So, I just took a pregnancy test and it’s positive. That can't be right, right?"
    She called her OBGYN next and made an emergency appointment. Thank goodness they could fit her into this afternoon. With those painful things done, she turned on Ben Harper and lost herself in the music and her job.

    Traveling to Atlanta for Christmas was painful. She threw up at National airport, on the airplane, and when she landed in Atlanta. Every smell was magnified and it made her sick to her stomach to walk through the airport with all the body odor. When she finally walked past the baggage claim area, she deeply inhaled the brisk Atlanta air. She didn't know how she was going to get through this trip without her parents knowing something was up. She checked her phone, hoping that George cared to see what she was doing for Christmas. He didn’t. She'd left him a present with Owen at Finnegan's earlier. Stella wanted to get him something meaningful; she knew he could buy himself anything he wanted.
    She'd had a picture of them, from the wedding at Mt. Vernon a few months back, framed. The look in her eyes showed she adored him. Under their picture, it read, "I'll be here, patiently waiting." It was from the song she’d told him was written just for him, “I Won’t Give Up” by Jason Mraz. In the box with the frame she'd included a silver heart that looked broken, but had been pieced back together. He’d done that for her; she would wait for him. She’d only left him the frame, no note. He’d know what she meant by it.
    She was being honest when she’d told Diane Sawyer that George was it for her. She may have fucked up, but her heart was his. She'd wait until he was ready to take her back.
    "Stella." Her mother's voice broke her out of her thoughts. Stella's mother ran around the back of the car and hugged her so hard Stella thought she’d vomit again. Her mother leaned back and looked at Stella's face. "You look horrible."
    "Thanks, Mom." Stella smiled weakly and took in her mother's Tory Burch riding boots, grey cashmere cowl neck sweater and skinny jeans. She looked perfect as usual.
    "You sleeping okay at Millie's?" her mother asked as she gave her the once over.
    "Yes, I'm fine," she lied.
    "Who's keeping Coop?"
    "I had to board him."
    "Why?" Her mother’s eyebrows rose in alarm. Stella had never boarded Cooper before.
    "Everyone’s going home for Christmas," she answered, ignoring the real question—why isn't Cooper with George or Patrick?
    Her mother looked like she was about to say something else, then looked down at Stella's missing engagement ring. "Let me get your bag."
    Stella gave her mother her suitcase and got in the passenger seat. She was glad to be home. Her heart was broken, her mind still reeling from her appointment with her OBGYN, then her specialist. Dr. Baxter had been with her since she was shot and was completely baffled at her pregnancy; she told her flat out that she’d definitely lose the baby. She'd told her it was impossible for her to bring this baby to "full term" with her injuries. Her OBGYN had told her it would be touch and go with a comforting smile and a pat to her hand like