Chapter 2

I didn't want to dwell on it anymore. Sasha's laughter cut through the air behind me, sharp and grating. Without thinking, I sped up. The house had been empty ever since Casper was hardly around anymore. Most days, it was just me and our maid, Barbara Lopez. Barbara heard me walk in and came out smiling, but her face fell the second she saw how pale I was. "Lis, you were gone so long. Are you sick? You look terrible." Even Barbara was worried about me. Why couldn't Casper ever care that much? He hadn't even asked if I was okay. I gave her a weak smile, trying to ease her mind. "I'm fine, Barbara. Why don't you go ahead and start cooking? I'm getting a little hungry." "Right, right. I'll make your favorite soup. That'll fix you right up." And with that, she bustled off to the kitchen. I took out the jar of stars and placed it on the table, staring at it absently as my thoughts drifted. Then, the doorbell rang. I opened the door to find Casper's mother, Alyssa Ashby, standing there. The second she saw me, she gasped. "Good heavens, Lis! You look awful!" Without waiting for my response, she guided me inside and sat me down. She was all set to march me straight to the hospital until I stopped her. "You're pregnant. You need to be careful. Where's Casper? Shouldn't he be here with you? His father and I thought he'd been staying home to look after you since he's barely been at work lately. You weren't going to tell me if Barbara hadn't called?" Alyssa's kindness warmed my heart. I wasn't sure how to answer her, but then Barbara appeared with a bowl of my favorite soup. "Lis, I hope you don't mind me speaking up. I was just worried about you." I smiled and shook my head. "No, of course not, Barbara." Just then, the door opened, and Casper walked in. He seemed surprised to see us. "Mom, what are you doing here?" Alyssa's tone made her disapproval clear. "You're seriously asking me that? Where have you been? Why weren't you here with Lis?" Casper hesitated, fumbling for a reply. "I've had things going on." "What could be more important than Lis right now? She's pregnant, Casper. And was there really no one else who could handle it? Did you have to go yourself?" I held Alyssa's hand and spoke up for Casper, "It's fine. Just let him go if he's busy. I'll be okay." He gave me a guilty look. "Thanks, Lis." I wasn't sure if he was thanking me for covering for him or for not calling him out. "Whatever happens tonight, you're not leaving," Alyssa warned. "You stay with Lis." "But…" He choked on the word, too ashamed to argue. … Only one wall lamp was still on in the bedroom. Its weak glow washed my face in an even paler light. Casper pushed the door open and perched carefully on the edge of the bed. "Lis, Sasha's still waiting for me. She can't be alone." I kept quiet and took out the jar of stars. "What's this?" he asked, sounding confused. "99 stars. I finished folding them." Casper paused for a second. "Has it really been 99 times?" "So, you're still leaving?" My voice was almost pleading, but he didn't waver. "Lis, Sasha lost her memory. I can't just leave her. You get that, right? I swear—once she's better, I'll make sure she's gone. After that, it's only you. Okay?" How could I stop him? His leaving was already decided, just like mine. I nodded and said, "I'd like a baby anklet as a gift for our child." He gently stroked my hair and said, "Okay, I promise. When I get back, we'll go to the baby store together and pick out everything our little one needs." The moment the door closed behind him, the muffled crying in the room grew even clearer. I turned on the lamp and pulled the stack of medical reports from the drawer. At first, those test results had brought happy tears—the pure joy of expecting my first baby. Now, I was crying over them again, but every tear was filled with grief this time.