Drowning in the East River Read Online Free Page A
Author: Kimberly Pierce
was lit through the tiny living room window. The sun was setting just to the west over the river.
David walked over to the kitchen and looked down at the pictures which were strewn across the table. Anna had found his stash of family photos, and was paging through them. "What are you doing with these?" He asked. He tore his eyes from the photographs and looked up at her.
She had been looking at their wedding photographs. Looking through the stack, he saw pictures of himself looking dazed and completely unsure of how he had managed to find such an amazing girl. Jessica stood next to him on the warm pavement outside the church. Her dark eyes contrasted against her thick, white satin dress. Her fingers white knuckled her large bouquet tightly in front of her body, covering their unplanned pregnancy.
He looked at the pictures on the table. Even though they had been a couple for three years, he had still found it difficult to read Jessica. She always had an inherent complication to her manner. It was in her eyes. She had dark, intelligent eyes which seemed to have experienced more than she would have normally in her twenty-one years. He always had the feeling she was reading him.
"Happy?" David asked her, not bothering to look over at the photographer capturing the crowds mulling outside of St. Agnes' Cathedral. The wedding party had spilled out of the close, hot church onto East 43rd Street. The unseasonably warm March sunlight was beating down on the hot asphalt.
Stifling was the best word to describe that particular day in Manhattan. Heat waves could be seen bouncing off the cracked sidewalk. A summertime like humidity hung in the air like a wet blanket, making the air feel heavy and sticky.
Jessica turned to face him, a slow smile crossing her lips. She took a step into his body, wrapping her arms around his waist, pulling her body tightly into his. "Very happy, Mr. Freeman.”
"You look beautiful," David said, staring down into her open, heart shaped face. He brushed the veil gently away from her eyes which stood out against the creamy white satin of her floor length wedding gown. He let his hand graze over her stomach, and for the first time she didn't flinch. "You're glowing.”
"I wish I could say it was as delicate as all that," Jessica said, her eyes darting to the photographer. She began fanning herself gently with her free hand. A layer of sweat covered her forehead. She chuckled as she looked around at the wedding goers who were hovering around them. "Layered satin in the middle of August wasn't my smartest decision, especially in my current condition.”
"I'm not sure marrying me was your smartest decision," David said.
"I disagree," Jessica said, flashing a bright smile in his direction. She shook her head slightly. "My family seems to think it's you who are stuck with me." She held onto his hand tightly, firmly pressing her body into his. As they dissolved into a kiss, they were alone on the sidewalk.
"Can you put those away?" David asked, looking up from the table full of painful memories. His voice was pleading as he turned to face Anna. "I can't look at those right now." He crossed the room to the kitchen, terminating the memories playing in his head.
"She was my sister too," Anna said, walking over and laying his sleeping son in his crib. She was struggling to keep her voice at a civilized level as she turned back to face him. He had touched a nerve. Her voice was a sharp whisper as she continued. "You aren't the only one who loved her.”
"You don't think I realize that?” David snapped.
David opened the cabinet, and slowly brought a loaf of bread down onto the counter. He looked down at the bread; he closed his eyes, fighting to keep his composure under control. He grabbed a nearby knife.
"I understand that," David snapped, looking up at her. The knife was white knuckled in his fingers, and crashed loudly on the tile floor. He looked
David walked over to the kitchen and looked down at the pictures which were strewn across the table. Anna had found his stash of family photos, and was paging through them. "What are you doing with these?" He asked. He tore his eyes from the photographs and looked up at her.
She had been looking at their wedding photographs. Looking through the stack, he saw pictures of himself looking dazed and completely unsure of how he had managed to find such an amazing girl. Jessica stood next to him on the warm pavement outside the church. Her dark eyes contrasted against her thick, white satin dress. Her fingers white knuckled her large bouquet tightly in front of her body, covering their unplanned pregnancy.
He looked at the pictures on the table. Even though they had been a couple for three years, he had still found it difficult to read Jessica. She always had an inherent complication to her manner. It was in her eyes. She had dark, intelligent eyes which seemed to have experienced more than she would have normally in her twenty-one years. He always had the feeling she was reading him.
"Happy?" David asked her, not bothering to look over at the photographer capturing the crowds mulling outside of St. Agnes' Cathedral. The wedding party had spilled out of the close, hot church onto East 43rd Street. The unseasonably warm March sunlight was beating down on the hot asphalt.
Stifling was the best word to describe that particular day in Manhattan. Heat waves could be seen bouncing off the cracked sidewalk. A summertime like humidity hung in the air like a wet blanket, making the air feel heavy and sticky.
Jessica turned to face him, a slow smile crossing her lips. She took a step into his body, wrapping her arms around his waist, pulling her body tightly into his. "Very happy, Mr. Freeman.”
"You look beautiful," David said, staring down into her open, heart shaped face. He brushed the veil gently away from her eyes which stood out against the creamy white satin of her floor length wedding gown. He let his hand graze over her stomach, and for the first time she didn't flinch. "You're glowing.”
"I wish I could say it was as delicate as all that," Jessica said, her eyes darting to the photographer. She began fanning herself gently with her free hand. A layer of sweat covered her forehead. She chuckled as she looked around at the wedding goers who were hovering around them. "Layered satin in the middle of August wasn't my smartest decision, especially in my current condition.”
"I'm not sure marrying me was your smartest decision," David said.
"I disagree," Jessica said, flashing a bright smile in his direction. She shook her head slightly. "My family seems to think it's you who are stuck with me." She held onto his hand tightly, firmly pressing her body into his. As they dissolved into a kiss, they were alone on the sidewalk.
"Can you put those away?" David asked, looking up from the table full of painful memories. His voice was pleading as he turned to face Anna. "I can't look at those right now." He crossed the room to the kitchen, terminating the memories playing in his head.
"She was my sister too," Anna said, walking over and laying his sleeping son in his crib. She was struggling to keep her voice at a civilized level as she turned back to face him. He had touched a nerve. Her voice was a sharp whisper as she continued. "You aren't the only one who loved her.”
"You don't think I realize that?” David snapped.
David opened the cabinet, and slowly brought a loaf of bread down onto the counter. He looked down at the bread; he closed his eyes, fighting to keep his composure under control. He grabbed a nearby knife.
"I understand that," David snapped, looking up at her. The knife was white knuckled in his fingers, and crashed loudly on the tile floor. He looked
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