Even after all of these years he was sometimes shocked by how beautiful she was. Big, blue, china doll eyes so full of light and laughter. They could draw you in to her world with a simple glance. She never wore eye shadow, something he found fascinating. His own mother had never left the house without "putting on her face" not even a quick trip to the mailbox. But for Lily it was always just a quick sweep of mascara and maybe some lip gloss if she was dressing up. But she didn't need more. She would tell him he was biased when he would tell her how lovely she was, but he knew it was true. He could see men watching her when they went out. Women too. She wasn't just physically lovely, though she was, she had that "it" factor. That certain something that just drew people to her.
He looked at her and smiled. They had gone out for dinner. A rare mid-week treat. Usually they were both so busy with work and the kids and life that dinners out were reserved for time off. Food was a quick bite grabbed on the way to someplace else. But tonight she had asked if they could go out. She had picked the restaurant a new place in town they had never been to. Quiet, dark, romantic, good food as well. He was a contented man. He smiled again and reached across the table for her hand, looked in her eyes and saw it;
The tear.
At first he thought maybe it was a happy tear. That she was feeling as content as he was. As complete. As lucky. He watched her face, saw the unshed tear slowly filling her eye, the water starting to cover the blue, making her even more lovely if that was possible, like an ocean in her eye. But then she smiled. And it wasn't the smile of a happy woman. It was a sad small smile. She blinked and the tear escaped. Slowly rolling down her cheek. He reached out to wipe it away. "What's wrong, honey?"
She closed her eyes. He could see the moisture on her lashes. Glistening like drops of dew. Watched her compose herself. Listened as she took in one last deep breath, opened her eyes and, "I'm pregnant."
The words took a little while to filter in through the fog of what was left of his peaceful contentment. "You're what? Are you sure?"
"I"m pregnant. Yes, I'm sure. I went to the doctor yesterday to confirm."
He remembered trying to call her yesterday at lunch time and not being able to reach her. She had said she had left her phone in the car while she was running errands and he had believed her. Why wouldn't he believe her? She had never lied to him before.
Now it was her turn to reach for his hand. He hadn't even realized that he had pulled it back away from her. "Pregnant? But that's impossible. You can't get pregnant." He looked at her, "I mean we know the vasectomy took. There is no way that I...." and as he said it the awful realization hit him. The truth of what she was saying.
"It's not mine."
This time her tears came stronger. He watched them cascading down her cheeks. Big fat drops falling from her jaw. A hollow echoing plop as they reached the napkin in her lap.
"You're pregnant, but it's not mine. Does he know? Did you tell him first? Oh god, was he with you at the doctor's office yesterday?" He was trying to control the panic in his voice. The realization that life as he knew it was over. That no matter what everything had changed.
The awful truth. Lily, his Lily, was still sleeping with her husband.
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