Free The Push: A Sequel to The Pull by Sara V. Zook Page A

sure of that. Seeing the light go out inside of her right now was distressing enough. I’d be damned if I didn’t find some way of helping Liv find a spark again.
    After some time, I looked over to find Liv’s eyes closed behind her sunglasses. She was asleep. I reached in the back of my seat for a coat I had tossed back there and pulled it to the front. I draped it over her chest, around her arms and pulled it up to her neck. She stirred gently but still remained sleeping. I stared at her for a few seconds before taking a deep breath and returning my attention to the road before me.

EIGHT
    Livvy
     
    I wasn’t thrilled about seeing Henry and Evelyn right now. I’d rather be lying in bed. I felt extremely tired and had cat naps on and off, but nothing lasting and nothing that really left me feeling refreshed. So this was what grief felt like. Even the hunger pangs from the pregnancy significantly decreased. I was spiraling down a hole I didn’t know how to find my way out of, and I was struggling, my fingernails clawing at dirt to try to keep myself from plummeting the whole way to the bottom. Something told me I was going to hit, though—hit hard. My in-laws would hopefully be distraction enough to keep me occupied, if only for a little while.
    My eyes opened when I felt Shane’s car come to a halt in his parents’ driveway. I sat up, a coat falling down my arms. Shane had covered me up while I slept. I glanced his way, my lips thinning into a small smile. He nodded then, knowing my gratitude. Shane was really a very sweet and thoughtful guy. Had he always been that way, or was it just now that he had finally allowed himself to grow up a little bit, enough that his chivalry was shining through? I didn’t know, but I appreciated it just the same. He said I was one of his favorite people in the world, and honestly, I thought the exact same way about him.
    Evelyn was already out on the porch, her hands on her hips as she peered down at us. I opened the passenger door and forced myself out. I took a deep breath and looked over at the old barn. Darin and I hadn’t spent much time here. I wondered what it was like when Darin and Shane were boys, when there were animals in that barn. I could picture them running around in the fields in their bare feet, being energetic and ornery. My hand fell down and cupped underneath my belly. I wanted my little one to grow up with enough land to run free on. That had been mine and Darin’s plan…
    “Livvy,” Evelyn cried out, taking her time as she descended the wooden steps and came over to me. She opened up her arms and brought me in to hug me tight. She smelled of onions and beef.
    I relished in the warmth of my mother-in-law. Being around Darin’s family was like holding onto a living piece of him. “Hi, Evelyn.”
    She pulled away from me and put both her palms on my cheeks as she examined my face. “Poor dear. Come on inside and get something to eat. I just finished making dinner. Everything’s on the table already.”
    I sighed. The thought of food made me a little nauseous, but I knew I needed to eat to keep my strength up for the baby’s sake. I watched Shane retrieve my small bag out of his car among his own things. I turned and looked up at the house. This is where my husband grew up. I should embrace it and hold onto it while I had it.
    “Livvy,” Henry greeted me. He was already seated at the dining room table, sipping on some tea.
    I walked over to him and patted him on the back.
    “Hungry, girl? Evelyn has everything ready.”
    I glanced at the bowls and plates positioned on the table, steam rising into the air above, way too much food for only four people to eat. My stomach gurgled, but it wasn’t hunger. It was more like a burning sensation. I just didn’t feel right. “I’m going to go wash up first.”
    I shut the bathroom door behind me and steadied myself against the sink. It felt as if I couldn’t get enough air. I was hyperventilating, my