Free A Life Less Broken by Margaret McHeyzer

technically I still am, at least until the divorce is finalized.”
    “And you
didn’t want a child with your wife?”
    “The thought
did occur to me in an abstract way, but like I said, I never really considered
it. And my wife didn’t want a baby so we really never discussed it seriously.”
    “I never
knew if I wanted a child, but now I can’t conceive.” I look up toward the sun
and close my eyes.
    “Why?”
    “Because of
what they did. They took that away from me along with everything else they broke.”
    “If and when
you’re ready, there are always other options available if you want to be a
mother. Your chances aren’t totally destroyed.”
    I look over
to Dominic who’s now pouring us some of his lemonade. He hands me a glass and
when I sip it, it’s incredibly tart. I can’t help but screw my eyes shut, and I
must make a funny face because Dominic bursts into laughter.
    He takes a
sip and screws his face up.
    “Shit, I
think I forgot the sugar.”
    “I think you
forgot the sugar, too.”
    “Oh well,
looks like we’ll have to have water then. I’ll go get us some.” He stands, puts
his sport shoes on and goes inside to get water for us.
    I look
toward the house and when I look back to the picnic blanket, I’m completely
speechless and totally stunned at what sits neatly beside my knee.
    A single brilliant
blue feather.

Chapter 12
    Waking up
today is torture. My entire body is achy; my throat feels like I’m swallowing
razor blades, and I think I have a fever.
    I can’t move
without pain shooting through every part of me.
    I can hear
Dominic knocking downstairs but I can’t force myself to get out of bed and let
him in. I reach for my phone but the moment my hand comes out from under the
blanket, a rippling cold chill washes over my body.
    My teeth are
chattering so hard I can hear them, and I’m shaking with the cold.
    Just as I
grasp the phone in my hand, Dominic calls me.
    “He-he-hello,”
I stutter through the shivers.
    “Allyn, open
the fucking door. What’s happening?” He sounds so worried and stressed.
    “Si-sick, go
aw-away,” I try and say.
    “Not likely,
come and open the door now.”
    “N-n-nooo,
too si-si-sick.” I just can’t get warm no matter how much I ball myself up.
    “Open the
damn door, Allyn or I’ll call the police and get them to beat it down.”
    “Fi-fi-fine.”
    I drag myself
downstairs and let Dominic in. The moment he is in through the door, he
immediately puts his palm against my forehead and looks into my eyes.
    “Have you
got Tylenol?”
    “K-k-kitchen,”
I say as I wrap my arms around myself.
    “Do you want
me to carry you up to bed?”
    I shake my
head as I start back upstairs toward my room.
    “I’ll be up
in a moment with some Tylenol.”
    Slowly, I
make my way back into bed, pulling all the blankets up around my chin.
    I hear his
heavy footsteps on the stairs.
    “Here you
go,” Dominic says, handing me two tablets to take with a glass of water.
    DOMINIC
    She’s
shivering and she’s so pale.
    I sit on the
edge of her bed as she swallows the two tablets and hands me back the water
with most of the contents still in it.
    “I’m going
to make you some soup, and if that fever doesn’t come down I’m taking you to
the hospital.”
    Her eyes fly
open and she’s furiously shaking her head. “I ca-ca-can’t…”
    “If it’s for
your health, you can and you will.”
    “N-n-n-noooooo,”
she wails through chattering teeth.
    “Allyn, I
can’t leave you here like this.”
    “I’ll ca-ca-ca-call
m-my m-m-mom-m.”
    “I’m here
now and I’ll look after you. But if I have to, I’ll take you to the hospital
myself.”
    She’s still
shaking her head, but if the time comes and she’s not getting better, then I’ll
do what I must to ensure her safety.
    “I’m going
down to make you something to eat. I want you to try and sleep, okay?”
    She nods and
curls further into herself.
    “Allyn, you
can’t have all these blankets on