The numbness and foreboding setting up camp in mygut?
That wasreal.
31
Holly
“Who’s my pretty girl?”I cooed as I changed Lily’s diaper in Samantha’s bedroom. Josh was away on a road trip, so Lily and I were spending the evening with my friends. “Do you miss Daddy? I missDaddy.”
Lily replied with ayawn.
Didn’t she look adorable when she yawned? I was positive no other baby in the world looked as adorable whileyawning.
Once I’d finished changing her, we headeddownstairs.
“Does she know yet?” Trent asked, his voice coming from the living room. He and Kelsey must have arrived while I wasupstairs.
I entered the living room. You know the saying about hearing a pin drop? Well, if I’d used safety pins on Lily’s diaper, we could’ve tested thattheory.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, my heart rate racing faster than a Ferrari on an open race track. And the sympathy on their faces wasn’t doing much to help slow it down as it hit a sharpturn.
“We heard the news on the way over…” Trentsaid.
“Whatnews?”
He and Kelsey exchanged looks. “Josh hasn’t toldyou?”
“Told me what?” Did you sense the impatience in my voice? Blame it on the boulder that had found its way to mystomach.
“He’s beentraded.”
It will be okay, I told myself. Maybe he got traded to San Jose or L.A. or Anaheim. We could make that work. It wouldn’t be ideal, but somehow we could make itwork.
Now, if only my heart was as convinced as my brain. “Towhere?”
“Montreal.”
“Oh.” Montreal? Wasn’t that in Canada? It would’ve been bad enough if he had been traded to another U.S. team—but to another country? That was a whole new level ofbad.
And why was I only hearing about it now from Trent? Why hadn’t Josh toldme?
Deep down I had always suspected Josh would be traded. Why? Because what was dear old Murphy’s favorite hobby? That’s correct. He liked to screw you around when it came to that damn law ofhis.
I had also suspected, deep down, Josh would be traded because he was going to be a free agent soon. But had I at any point thought he would be traded to a Canadian team—traded to the land of snow, polar bears, and freezing winters? Nope.Never.
“I guess that’s it then,” I said more to myself than to anyone else. Josh and I had finally admitted that we were in love, so fate decided to have a good laugh at ourexpense.
Yes, sometimes life really didsuck.
But what did this all mean forLily?
It meant that Josh would still be a part of her life, but he wouldn’t be there for her—not in the way that hewanted.
“What do you mean ‘that’s it’?” Kelseyasked.
“Josh is moving away,” I said, “starting a new life. Withoutus.”
“But can’t you move with him? I’ve seen him when he’s with you. He lovesyou.”
