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Clara leaned back, waiting for the end of the story

"The moment the little boy was free, he ain and that he’d find a way to break the brainwashing and irl with long dark hair entered his life that he was finally able to believe he could achieve his pro into ood for the little boy, and he can finally start to put the past behind hi an unfaht for"

"What’s that?" Clara whispered, her face glowing fro his back fro a flurry of butterflies to erupt in my sto so wretched or so hopeful all at once He hadn’t just stolen Clara from me, he’d stolen my heart I wanted to throwhis dreams to life

Then my heart shattered What will he do when I tell hiht made me want to run and never come back He’d hate me

Fox stood up suddenly and headed to a table beneath a bright halogen He tucked so-wrapped present on the floor by Clara’s feet, he yanked theon the floor was the fattest, woolliest, perfectly created metal sheep I’d ever seen

My heart cracked, splintered, shattered in my chest And I kneithout a doubt I would love Roan until I died

Clara’s eyes bugged and her little rin "My sheep!"

Fox nodded "Your sheep"

That night, after an afternoon of heavy conte her tightly, I breathed in her fresh apple scent, praying with all my soul she would survive beyond all doctors’ predictions That she wouldn’t have to leaveFox’s tale, I wanted to tell him mine I wanted to be as open and honest, but at the sa to offer him I didn’t want to break the little boy’s heart and kill hihed quietly, drawing my attention Her beautiful liquid eyes shone fro with h lyrical voice was hushed, almost as if she didn’t want to say it aloud

My world crunched to a stop, but instead of wailing and cursing life for such unfairness, I clutched hard at calth I didn’t know I had filledmy voice steady

Inside, I felt like a cracked china doll with broken pieces that would never be glued together again, but externally, I was a strong hter till the end

Runningwith you, Clara You’re perfect in every way" I sucked in a breath "And that’s why you’ll be leaving me soon You’re too perfect for this world Too precious You’ll be called to somewhere much better than here" I clarief threatened to htened of Proe, dark eyes looking like an eclipse blotting out the light "Why do I have to go? I don’t want to leave you"

I had no answers for her My mind was blank and worthless "We never knohat life will bring But on’t be apart for long"

"Did I do soh soIt’s just your lungs, sweetheart Some people are born with a different life path, but it doesn’tto so on ave up the battle to stay dry-eyed and kissed her soft forehead "I’ll be fine I promise I’ll talk to you every day You’ll be with ainst ht leave, I won’t ever truly leave you, mummy I’ll find a way to come back and be with you But you have to promise me you won’t be alone I would cry to think of you sad because I left you"

I couldn’t reply

She squirhtly sticky hand on my cheek, just like she’d done to Roan "Promise me you’ll fix hi I couldn’t achieve, but looking into her urgent eyes, I foundonfor

Only after I’d told Clara a story, and unwrapped her sleeping figure fromsobs with a fist insorrow

I purged myself until no more liquid existed in my body

Only once my body quietened from sobs, did I stand up and look in the bottom of the rubbish bin where I’d hidden yet another conancy test All my life I believed I had one chance at motherhood That the brutal attack in my teens left led to conceive again The nurses strokedto co Clara a brother or sister

At the time, I didn’t care Clara had been a mistake--a wonderfully joyous mistake, but one I probably wouldn’t do a second time--but as ti more life and wonder into the world

But just like everything, life had a way of knocking me on my ass with surprises

Conceived by a forceful lover and a nant with his future

Chapter 16

The truth shall set you free

That was bullshit