Chapter 35
Claire usually rang in the New Year with anticipation, hope, and the promise of a fresh start—a time to set goals and embrace a clean slate.
This year, she invited the Weavers over to visit Bella.
She and Wade hadn’t delved into the conversation about granting Bella’s grandparents visitation rights.
Letting them take Bella to their home in the near future felt inevitable, but praying about it with Wade was crucial.
Her resolutions this year should’ve been about becoming a better wife and mother. Now, she had to let go of the wife part and focus on what she could control. Being the best parent possible, striving to grow as a person, and drawing closer to God.
Having a paper marriage couldn’t stop her from missing her husband. If only they’d started counseling as planned. Nights felt colder without him, and sleep became elusive. This time, she couldn’t blame Bella since the baby slept through the night.
She also missed watching his interactions with Bella, missed how he held Bella like she was his whole world or how he looked at Claire like he’d love her forever. But she wouldn’t trade the time they’d spent together for anything. She’d never love anyone the way she loved him.
Two weeks into January, he still hadn’t come home or even promised to.
Their conversations were cordial exchanges for Bella’s sake.
Photos and videos of Bella’s latest antics kept him in the loop, including most recently, her first attempt at saying mama.
Claire had caught it on video—though Bella had repeated it more like a song than a clear word.
Wade always responded, the distance between them far greater than the miles.
He FaceTimed often, his eyes lighting up as Bella babbled and played, and every call left Claire’s heart aching.
She scrolled through his social media feeds for signs he’d moved on with some glamorous woman.
His latest movie was still doing well in theaters.
Even their small town played it three times a day. He’d worked hard and deserved success.
Today, she didn’t make her jewelry when Bella slept in.
Instead, she spent extra time praying and reading her Bible.
Wade had been texting her verses that resonated with him, keeping up with their promise to hold each other accountable in faith.
Inspired, she sent him the verse that stood out to her that morning.
Claire: “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you (James 4:8).” I’m praying this for both of us—that we draw near to God and trust His plan.
Her phone beeped.
Wade: Are you kidding me? I read James 4 this morning, and this same verse struck me. Then I remembered, “Seek God first, and the rest will come.” Had to go back and read Matthew 7:7. It goes hand in hand with this.
She shifted in the chair by the bedroom window as she typed back.
Claire: Glad we’re on the same page today.
His response came a moment later. A smiley emoji.
At least today, she felt God’s peace. Lighthearted, she showered, changed, and packed Bella’s bag for their visit to the senior living center. Dad adjusted well, and every time she visited him, he was laughing and surrounded by his friends.
Now, the game room buzzed, sunlight streaming through a wide window, spilling over the books and puzzles lining the shelves.
The seniors fussed over Bella, who sat contentedly in her stroller, kicking her chubby feet and flashing a gummy grin, her two tiny teeth stealing the show.
Claire eased into a chair across from her dad, a bingo card in hand, ready for a round with the lively residents. The room hummed with laughter and chatter as the numbers were called, each moment a welcome reminder of joy in simple things.
“Bingo!” her dad grinned and waved his card with a shaky hand.
The others groaned good-naturedly, but his friend Schmidt clapped him on the back. “About time, John. You’ve been slacking.”
Tori, a spirited woman with a raspy laugh, wagged a finger. “I don’t know what to do with these two troublemakers. If John isn’t winning at bingo, Schmidt is hoarding all the candy. And don’t even get me started on checkers. John always takes the trophy.”
“What can I say?” Dad waggled his brows and added a mischievous grin. “Talent runs in the family.”
Claire chuckled, glancing at Bella, who was drooling as she chewed on a toy, clearly teething. “He’s not lying. My dad’s the reigning checkers king.”
“Is that so?” Schmidt spoke through a deep laugh, his gray hair glistening in the fluorescent lights. “Maybe we should get Bella in on the action. She’s already got the look of a strategist.”
Tori cackled. “You mean she looks like she can outsmart you, Schmidt.”
The table erupted into laughter.
Claire freed Bella from the stroller so her dad could hold her. “Here you go, Grandpa.” She kept one hand on Bella’s back to steady her as the baby squirmed.
Her dad kissed Bella’s forehead and bounced her, earning giggles that warmed Claire’s heart. “This little one’s got spunk,” he boasted. “When is she going to walk around for us?”
“She’s been trying.” Claire had sent Wade a video—Bella almost taking her first steps before tumbling backward. “I thought she might do it the other day, but she’s holding out on me.”
Dad set Bella down on the clean floor. “Can you walk for Grandpa?”
Bella stretched for the empty chair between Dad and Schmidt.
Gripping the edge, she tried to pull herself up.
Claire kept a steady hand on her as the seniors around them erupted in cheers like Bella had just crossed a finish line.
She’d taken a couple of steps before—she was capable of so much more.
“Come on, Bella!” Schmidt shot a fist in the air. “Show us what you’ve got!”
“She’s got that fire, just like her grandpa,” Tori chimed in, leaning closer. “Watch out, John. She’ll be snatching that checkers trophy from you next.”
“She’s welcome to try.” Dad winked, lowered himself to Bella’s level, and pinched her cheek.
The lighthearted banter reminded Claire that, despite everything, there were still moments worth cherishing. Wade might not be by her side, but she wasn’t alone. And for now, that would be enough.
Her stomach growled. Lately, her appetite had been insatiable, and she couldn’t pinpoint why.
She checked her phone—Irina’s lunch break would be in ten minutes.
Another perk of Dad staying at The Summit was how Claire could catch up with Irina, on the two days a week she worked here—in addition to her caregiving job with Hearts at Hand.
When Dad and his friends headed to lunch, Claire joined Irina at a far table reserved for employees, Bella babbling in the stroller beside Claire. Sunlight poured through floor-to-ceiling windows, highlighting the abstract artwork on the walls.
A savory aroma wafted from the kitchen, making Claire’s craving for pretzels even stronger, but the day’s menu squashed her hopes. When the server arrived to take their orders, she ventured to ask. “Any chance you have pretzels tucked away somewhere?”
“I can bring you saltine crackers.” The server offered a friendly smile.
Claire nodded. “I’ll take the vegetable soup, too.”
“Hello, gooby goby!” Irina cooed at Bella, tickling her socked feet.
Bella squealed her delight and held out her chewy toy as if offering it.
“Peekaboo!” Irina hid her face and then popped out again. Bella giggled. Claire’s heart always melted at her cheerfulness as opposed to how fussy she’d been before Wade entered their lives.
When the food arrived, Claire’s stomach turned. A strange sharp smell hit her as the server placed steaming soup in front of Irina. Claire grimaced and held her breath.
“What’s wrong?” Irina raised an eyebrow.
Claire wrinkled her nose. “What did they put in your soup? It smells… off.”
Irina laughed. “It’s just tomato soup. You had it last time and liked it.”
“They must’ve gone heavy on the basil or something.
” Claire nibbled a saltine. Then the sight of her water glass made her stomach churn.
When the server returned with her soup, the growl in her stomach wasn’t enough to make it appealing.
She loved the food here—everything was delicious—but today, the extra spices they added turned her queasy.
To distract herself, she broke off a piece of cracker and placed it on Bella’s tray.
Bella’s tiny fingers grasped it and stuffed it into her mouth.
If only Wade could see her now. Bella wasn’t choking on a cracker, which was harder than the muffin.
“Any updates on Wade?” Irina unrolled her spoon from the napkin.
“Same as before.” Claire shrugged, then gave Irina a rundown of their recent conversations. Talking about him only stirred memories. So she steered the topic away. “You should ask one of these nice chefs if they’re single. You’re overdue for a good date.”
Irina swirled her spoon in the offending soup. “Maybe when I don’t work two jobs. What about your website? Any plans to relaunch soon?”
Wade had invested a lot into helping Claire grow her jewelry business, hiring a website designer and even a photographer for her pieces to be shared with the world. “It’s been hard to focus on making a lot of pieces, you know, with everything going on.”
Bella banged on the tray, demanding another cracker. Grateful for the distraction, Claire reached for the jar of finger foods tucked beneath Bella’s stroller and spilled a handful onto the tray. It was almost time for Bella’s lunch and nap—perhaps a nap for Claire too.
After bathing Bella that evening, Claire let her daughter toddle around the playroom ottoman. Wade had replaced the sharp-edged furniture after Bella’s earlier mishaps, and the safer setup brought a measure of peace. Bella wobbled away from the ottoman before plopping onto her diapered bottom.
Claire grabbed her phone. Maybe today would finally be the day Bella took more than two steps—just enough for her to capture. “Come on, Bella. Show me those steps.”
Bella scooted back to the ottoman, pulled herself up, and then pushed away from it. Claire hit record, stepping back to give Bella space.
The first shaky step moved into open space. Claire’s heart leaped, her breath catching as Bella wobbled forward, her tiny legs finding balance. Another step. Then another. And then she plopped back onto her bottom, giggling.
Claire tossed the phone aside and scooped Bella into her arms. “You did it, sweet girl!”
Bella grinned, clearly aware of the milestone she reached.
Claire had to video call Wade. He always answered right away, no matter if he was on the set or in a meeting.
He soon appeared on the screen, his T-shirt clinging to his chest, damp with sweat, workout equipment in the background.
It reminded her of when he called later in the night after they first spoke to the family lawyer—he’d been in the gym then too.
Funny, he never worked out in their home gym at night when he was in Pleasant View, instead fitting in his ritual around their life and activities.
“Hey,” she gushed. “I wanted to show you Bella walking, but she fell and hasn’t tried again.”
Wade’s brow furrowed. “She walked?”
“Yeah, just a few steps. She’ll do it again, though.” Claire’s chest tightened at the familiarity of his features. They spoke as good friends, lightly with each other. She missed him, their relationship. Did he miss her?
He drew out a breath. “You’re doing an amazing job with her.”
You’re amazing too. The words were on the tip of her tongue. “How’s work going?”
“I love how Punchline to Glory turned out, actually.”
She settled on the rocker.
Bella crawled into view, then tugged at Claire’s pants to stand.
Her stomach churned again, more insistently this time. She pressed a hand to it. Saliva gathered like when she was sick and threw up. She clamped a hand on her mouth. “Sorry, I’ve got to go.”
She ended the call and closed the gate, securing Bella in the playroom, then rushed to the bathroom across the hall where she could still see Bella.
She barely made it before nausea overtook her.
The sensation left her breathless and confused.
She didn’t have a fever or any other symptoms, just this strange queasiness.
The next day, at the new dentist, they wanted to take an X-ray and asked if she was pregnant.
“What do you mean?”
The woman looked at Claire’s ring. “It’s just a precautionary question. When was the last time you had your period?”
Hmm? When was it? “I don’t usually track the days of my periods.” Who did that?
“If you don’t think you’re pregnant, we can go ahead and do the X-ray.”
What if she was pregnant? She and Wade hadn’t embraced the idea of having kids just yet. They weren’t even together anymore. But when they were, they hadn’t had any family planning measures in place. How dumb had they both been? Clueless? Did people just get pregnant that fast?
Surely, she wasn’t pregnant. Still… “Um, I’d better reschedule the X-ray for another day. Just in case.”
With Bella under the nanny’s care for three more hours, Claire headed to The Gift Garden to inspect her inventory. Making rings was easier and more exciting with the micro welder.
“What do you think about using this in soap?” Anna beamed and handed her the bottle of oil.
Nausea slammed into Claire. She gagged, bolted to the bathroom, and barely made it before throwing up in the toilet.
When she returned, Anna was frowning. “What are you doing here when you’re sick?”
“I don’t have a fever.” Claire then confided about the dentist’s visit. “They asked me if I’m pregnant.”
Anna’s sharp eyes narrowed, her Russian accent heavy. “When was the last time you had your period?”
“Why’s that so important?” She sometimes missed her periods for no reason.
“If you’ve been intimate with your husband and had no protection, you’re most likely pregnant.”
Claire’s heart raced. “I can’t be.”
Even as she protested, the truth sank in.
Anna’s expression softened. “You’re a good parent already. This is good news, yes?”
Claire forced a smile, her mind spinning. Only Irina knew about her complicated marriage. If Claire was pregnant, she couldn’t tell him. Not yet. Not until he worked through his fears about parenting Bella.
She left The Gift Garden and stopped at the pharmacy. After buying the pregnancy test, she was too anxious to wait until she got home, so she ran to the bathroom. The word pregnant flashed. She headed back out into the store, bought another, and got the same results.
This would change everything. Would it bring Wade back into her life or push him further away? That question sent her back into the stall to throw up.