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"Didn’t you hearuncontrollably "I lost the baby"

"I know," Doug whispered and wrapped her in his arain, unable to stop The tears came froony that could be understood only by those who’d experienced such a loss It felt as if her beating heart had been ripped froain know joy or happiness or anything good Her future stretched before her, bleak and without hope

"I so badly wanted to have our child," she sobbed into her husband’s arainst her shoulder Then she realized he eeping, too They clung to each other, neither able to offer anything to the other Eony

"I’m so sorry," she choked out "So sorry"

"I know…I know"

"I love you"

He nodded

"I tried so hard…" She couldn’t think of anything she ht have done differently, any effort she hadn’tassured her

Exhausted, Carol showered and went to bed and with Doug’s arms around her, she fell into a deep sleep

At three, she ith pain heavy upon her chest and re in her wo out of bed, she walked into the nursery and stood in the ers around the end of the crib and bit her lower lip hard to hold back the sobs

It was then that she noticed the wall She squinted, certain she was seeing things Flicking on the light switch, she looked again Her knees eak and she sagged to the floor as she stared at the place where her husband’s fist had gone through the wall

CHAPTER 33

JACQUELINE DONOVAN

F riday afternoon Jacqueline arrived at A Good Yarn, her usual five"fashionably late" was a habit she’d picked up long ago and see Alix was slouched down in her chair with a morose look on her face

"Where’s Carol?" she asked Lydia, who stood at the end of the table, knitting needles in hand Lydia carried her yarn and needles around with her, so her hands were constantly busy

"Carol decided to stay home this afternoon," Lydia explained "I’m afraid she had bad news She lost the baby"

Jacqueline had feared as roup, but I hope she’ll be back"

Jacqueline nodded; she felt terrible for Carol The other woed on desperation Jacqueline orried about her and hoped Carol could, somehow, rebound from the loss She recalled her own bitter disappointive birth to a second child, but at least she’d been able to have Paul The likelihood that Carol and Doug would get a baby through adoption was slihed This was a sad turn of events, and there wasn’t a thing any of theht lose Carol," Lydia said

"Why? What do you mean?" Alix asked, anxiety in her voice

"She didn’t say anything, but I think sheto work The only reason she quit was for the baby, and she told e fir, evenher so much Worry about Carol was obviously part of it, but Jacqueline sensed that so

"How are you, Alix?" JacquelineShe orking on a scarf for her son It was a lovely worsted wool, the same brown shade as a pony Paul had loved as a child Jacqueline wondered if her son would remember Brownie andher head lowered

Jacqueline looked to Lydia, who shrugged, indicating she didn’t knoas wrong, either The shop grew quiet, the silence broken only by traffic noises frolanced up, and Jacqueline saw that she was no longer working on the man’s sweater she’d taken over fro entirely different

"What’s your problem?" Jacqueline asked bluntly

"That’s my business" Alix’s eyes flared to life as if she’d welcome a verbal confrontation

"Man trouble if I’ve ever seen it," Jacqueline announced to Lydia, who grinned slightly and nodded in agreement

Alix’s uess is it involves that … We were just friends"

"Past tense?" Lydia pried gently "You aren’t seeing hiot more than one friend, if you knohat I uessed

Alix’s head was so low her chin sank into her chest when she nodded

"Soirl in church

"Naturally," Jacqueline added She’d always iarded with suspicion any blonde who came near him Not that she cared, she told herself, but Jacqueline had to admit she occasionally wondered what the woman looked like At the same time, she didn’t want to know In fact, she usually tried not to think about her at all

Jacqueline’s ht Reese had walked out on their dinner She hadn’t forgiven him; more than that, she’d avoided hiap, either Apparently, finding his roses stuffed in the garbage the next h

The three of theether in silence Lydia had to put her own knitting aside twice to help customers, and that left Jacqueline alone with Alix