She Was There

She Was There
VERA’S POV 
I didn’t even realize when Jack left the house. I woke up alone, hugging a pillow that didn’t smell like him anymore. The bed was cold on his side, and it hit me hard. He was gone. Again.
I rolled out of bed with a heavy sigh, still wearing the oversized T-shirt he’d given me, and padded out in my flip-flops. As I heard voices downstairs, I almost forgot I wasn’t in our old apartment. This was a new house, a big one Jack bought for us. He even got me a set of luxury cars. That’s probably why we ended up having sex in the underground garage. It was stupid and reckless... but I had no regrets.
I was halfway down the stairs, still trying to blink the sleep out of my eyes, when something from last night snapped back into my head, the woman I saw outside when I went to get wine. I had hoped it was just a shadow. A mistake. But I knew that face too well.
Monica.
Her cold stare. Her smug smile like she’d won something. She didn’t say a word, but her eyes had challenged me to a war I didn’t sign up for.
Why now? Why come back when everyone thought she was dead? Why mess everything up again? And why lie so easily? I wasn’t sure what she wanted, but I knew it couldn’t be good.
“Good morning, dear hostess,” Hannah called out, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she leaned on the doorway, watching her husband and Nathan carry out the trash.
“She’s definitely winning the Best Hostess of the Year award,” Jessica added with a laugh as she placed three full plates of food on the dining table. Fried rice, chicken salad, and crispy French fries.
I inhaled deeply and smiled. “Mmm... that smells amazing,” I said, rubbing my stomach.
I didn’t know Jessica could cook, honestly. She was always the fashionable one, the career woman. If this food didn’t taste as good as it smelled, though, I’d definitely give her hell for wasting all those groceries.
“No, honey, that’s not for you,” Nathan said, stepping back into the dining area. “Timothy told us you’ve been feeling nauseous for days. Pregnancy signs. So you’re not eating just anything anymore.”
I froze. “Excuse me?” I looked at him, blinking.
“You’re a vet, Nathan. A doctor for animals,” I said, walking toward the food. “I’m a human. I don’t share a digestive system with your furry patients.”
I stretched my hand toward the fries, but he blocked me and gently turned me toward the kitchen counter.
“This is my house, in case you all forgot,” I said, frowning. “Why does it feel like you people are teaming up against me?”
“We care about you, that’s why,” Nathan replied. “Peppermint tea and a warm bath should help with the morning sickness. From my experience—”
“Experience with dogs and cats?” I cut in with a dry laugh. “What reviews do you get? Meows and tail wags?”
He laughed. “I get updates from humans, thank you very much. You can eat later. We cooked because our hosts decided to sleep in.”
I grumbled but took the mug of tea and sipped it slowly. Not bad.
Hannah, meanwhile, was wiping puke off Oscar’s shirt. Rowley had apparently thrown up on him.
“I’m sorry, Dad,” Rowley said, face full of guilt. “I didn’t mean to. I think I ate too much of the baby cereal.”
Oscar pulled him in. “Hey, no need to apologize. It’s okay. Your mom once threw up on your sister’s school bag back in the day. Disgusting, but it happens.”
Hannah rolled her eyes and tossed the cloth at his face. “Traitor. I knew you’d use that against me.”
Nathan tried calming the baby, who kept spitting cereal at him. “Here, give him to me,” Hannah said, taking the child. “Don’t ever apply for a babysitting job. I won’t write you a recommendation.”
We all laughed. It felt warm. Real. I looked around and, despite everything, I felt grateful for my friends. They put their issues aside for their kids. That’s what real parents do.
It made me think of my own childhood.
When I was six, I accidentally poured water on my dad’s khaki pants while we were on a public bus. Just water, no puke or food. I had choked while drinking and it spilled.
But the drama that followed? Unnecessary. I got scolded, locked inside the house, and left alone for days. They even told me not to mess up their trip or dial 911 unless it was life or death. I was six. They didn’t treat me like a child, they treated me like a burden.
I didn’t want to be like them. I didn’t want to punish my kids for being kids. No child deserves that. I loved my parents, but they never stayed together for my sake. Their separation messed me up in ways I still haven’t fully healed from. Kenneth came later and destroyed what little strength I had left.
If Jack hadn’t shown up when he did, I might’ve stayed broken forever.
A small pair of arms wrapped around my waist. I snapped out of the dark thoughts and looked down.
Timothy. My boy.
I squatted and held his little face in my hands. His eyes were bright and happy. So full of life.
“I already brushed and bathed,” he said proudly. “Can I go to Tasha’s? She has a new game she wants to show me.”
I smiled. “Why not?”
“Thanks, Mom! I love you!” He ran to Tasha who was struggling to stay upright at the table while Jessica tried pulling her into a proper seat.
I watched them for a second and suddenly remembered Malone. Where was he?
Like magic, the backdoor creaked open and in came Malone, mumbling something and heading straight for the coffee pot. He didn’t greet anyone properly. Just poured himself a cup and avoided my eyes.
I watched him, not because I wanted to, but because it hurt. It hurt that my own son was drifting from me again, and I didn’t know how to fix it this time.
Before I could think too hard, the front door opened and Jack walked in.
His eyes scanned the room and landed on Malone. Malone froze and quickly looked away. Jack’s eyes then met mine. They were tired. Hurt. He tried to smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
He greeted everyone politely and joined the others briefly, but I could tell something was wrong. Twenty minutes later, we were alone in the kitchen.
I leaned against the counter, arms folded. “What’s going on, Jack?”
He didn’t answer right away. Just stared at the sink like it held the answers.
“It’s not just about you and Malone,” I added gently. “Why did you leave so early? Where did you go?”
He finally looked at me, and I knew he had something heavy on his mind.
“I have to tell you something too,” I said softly. “Something happened last night.”
He tensed up. “What is it?”
I swallowed hard. “I saw her... Monica. Outside. By the carport.”
His face went pale.
“She didn’t say anything. Just stood there and stared. Like she wanted me to see her. Like she wanted a reaction.”
“Why didn’t you tell me last night?”
“I didn’t want to ruin the night. I didn’t want you to panic.”
Jack took a deep breath and walked to the window. “She shouldn’t be here. Not now.”
“That’s what scares me,” I whispered. “She’s back for a reason.”
“I’ll handle it,” he said, his voice low but steady. “I won’t let her mess with our lives again.”
I nodded, but the chill in my bones told me it wouldn’t be that easy. Monica’s return wasn’t random. And we needed to be ready for whatever storm she was bringing.