didn’t tell you?” I murmured, closing my eyes against the dim light in the fitting room of the maternity store. My mind wandered momentarily and I wondered if my brain had simply short-circuited, because all I could think about, was the marketing scheme that was the act of putting a dim light in a fitting room. I mean, those harsh fluorescent lights allow you to see everything while the dim golden light spilling into my small room right now would hide the imperfections that would dissuade me from possible purchase. Dim lighting really was genius.
I startled back to reality as Gabriella spoke.
“No.” Her voice was hard and I knew she was reliving the nightmare that was the night my father had bombarded my husband’s house. “He hasn’t said much.”
“Can I talk to him?” I pleaded my request. “I need to talk to him.”
“Sweet girl, he’s gone.”
“Gone?” I felt my voice rise to an unsteady high before I checked it. “Where? Where is he?”
“He’s somewhere safe.”
She didn’t want to tell me. Why wasn’t she telling me where my husband was? Trying to keep my panic from overflowing, I whispered into the phone as a desperation I couldn’t hide sounded in the undercurrents of my voice. “Gabby, I need my husband. I need to be with my husband. Calix didn’t fight because he thought I was better off with my family, but he is my family.” I pulled a deep breath into my starved lungs. “I’m pregnant, Gabby. I need my husband.” A tear slid from my eye. “Our baby needs a father.”
“You’re pregnant?” She gasped.
“I am.” I nodded even though I knew she couldn’t see me. “Calix and I, we’re going to have a baby.”
“Give me the number to contact you. I’ll text message you tonight.”
“Tonight?” I whispered. “Gabby, you need to find a way to get me to Calix - wherever he is.”
“I will.” She said firmly. “Be ready to disappear tonight, Nova.”
I repeated. “Tonight.”
“Give me the phone number I can text you from.” I rambled the phone number and she barked a few more instructions. “As soon as you receive a text, open it, read it, and delete it. Do not leave it on your phone and do not question any instruction, Nova.”
“I will follow your instructions perfectly, Gabriella. Just get me to Calix.”
“Stay safe, Nova.”
“I will.” I promised.
Then, the line disconnected.
***
Jaylah and I spent the remainder of our day out shopping, eating mall food, and getting our nails done. I knew she wanted to ask me about the call, but she held her tongue until we were sitting in her car.
“Give me the phone.” She held out her hand. “I’ll bring it to your room right after supper.”
I handed her the phone, feeling my nerves havoc in my body as I released the only connection I had to the man I loved. “Jay, promise me you’ll bring it back.”
“I promise.” She nodded. “Now, tell me everything.”
“I’ll be leaving tonight.” There wasn’t much else I could tell her. I didn’t know anything else. And when push came to shove, I didn’t want to simply disappear on Jaylah. I didn’t want to put her through the same feelings of guilt that she’d already had in the wake of my disappearance.
“Tonight?” She paled. “But,”
“Jay, I need to be with Calix. I won’t have my baby here, and I want to prepare with the man I love, for the most important part of my life.” I pulled in a breath. “Please understand.”
She focused through the windshield. “But Nova,”
“Jay, I love him.” I announced. “There’s nothing else for me to say.”
“Will you disappear forever?” She still wasn’t looking at me and I knew that I had to regain her compliance in this.
Reaching across the car, I held her hand in mine. “Jaylah, I will never disappear again. I will call your cell phone every week, with a new disposable phone each time. But I will keep in touch with you.”
“How do you know he’ll let you keep in touch