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of the garter belts to span her distended, grotesque waist. The baby must have
weighed fifteen pounds by then. She d never get her out. That was how the baby
would kill her. Wednesday had killed her mother the exact same way, by being too
big.
But no one took her concerns seriously. Not the doctor, not the nurses, Daniel
least of all. She finally just stopped talking about it and resigned herself to the fact
that she would die. He would see. He would be sorry later that he d mocked her. He
would understand and admit she was right when he was grieving over her body,
and she d be up in heaven, or more likely down in hell, saying, I told you so.
In the meantime she busied herself writing, trying to put down her life before
it was gone. If her daughter survived her, she wanted her to know the story of her
mother, the good and the bad. She wrote about her childhood, her time with
Vincent, her time with Daniel sanitized a bit. She specified on the title page in
bold and italicized caps, DO NOT READ UNTIL YOU ARE AT LEAST 18.
Daniel loved to see her writing, even though she wouldn t let him read it. It
was too personal for her to show it to him, at least while she was alive. When she
Owning Wednesday 153
was gone, he could read it, and hopefully it would sustain him until he was strong
enough to get on with his life. She put it all in there, all the depth of her feelings for
him. All the hope and happiness he d given her, all the love and emotion she felt. He
begged constantly to see what she was working on, especially as she typed through
tears.
It s too personal, Wednesday said, to get him off her back.
Personal? he scoffed. You re nine months pregnant with my child. Let me
see.
No, but I love you. Maybe someday. When it s finished and perfect. When I m
dead.
Speaking of finished, he said, the nursery s almost painted. I should finish it
up. We don t have much time left, do we? He leaned down to kiss her huge belly.
No, we don t have much time left.
She stood by a window in the soothing autumn afternoon sun while he painted
upstairs. She let the unseasonable warmth seep into her sore bones. Her uterus felt
tight and achy. She was at the printer, collating pages as well as she could over her
massive belly. She was finished with her story. She hadn t been sure exactly how to
wrap up everything, how to sum up all the amazing moments they d had. It had
kind of trailed off at the end. No matter what happens, no matter how miserable I
am right now&
She wished she could have finished it, but she had a feeling her time was
almost up. She wanted to print a hard copy before it was too late. She was just
secreting the pages of the document in the armoire upstairs when the phone rang.
She lumbered down the stairs with a groan, holding her belly.
Hello, Laurent household, she answered.
There was a momentary pause on the other end of the line, then, Is Daniel
there?
154 Annabel Joseph
She knew that voice as well as her own, had listened to it for five years. Had
obeyed it and cowered under it and ached for it for half a decade of her life.
She took a deep breath. Yes, he is.
Another pause. Well then, Wednesday, put him on the line.
Not Wednesday, how are you? What are you doing there? Not Wednesday, I
hope you re okay. No, just matter-of-fact orders to hand the phone over to Daniel.
The sick part of it was, his voice made her instantly, unthinkingly obey. She might
have asked, Why are you calling here? But no, she was already heading across the
room.
Just a minute.
Woodenly, she struggled back up the stairs. She d thought she was over
Vincent after a year and a half, but she was hurt that he d ignored her and asked to
speak to Daniel instead.
She opened the door to the nursery. God, so many colors.
Don t come in here, baby. The fumes He looked at her face and fell silent.
What is it?
She held out the phone to him like it was a snake.
Vincent. For you.
She wasn t sure about the look he gave her then. It was frustration, anger,
annoyance, guilt, but it wasn t surprise, and not seeing any surprise on his
face& she wondered at that. He shepherded her out the door quickly. Go. These
fumes aren t good for the baby.
When she was out in the hall again, he slammed the door.
She stood there and listened, desperately trying to hear what was being said.
She only heard a short, terse conversation, Daniel saying good-bye, then nothing.
Back to the walls.
Owning Wednesday 155
She drifted downstairs and collapsed on the couch, staring into space. She d
forgotten what it felt like that worthlessness and it scared her how easily that
feeling came back.
She waited for Daniel to come down, to explain why Vincent had called, but he
didn t, and she started imagining all kinds of things. Maybe Vincent was sick or
dying. Maybe he was moving away. Maybe he wanted Daniel to share her with him
as Vincent had shared her once upon a time.
It wasn t until dinner that she accepted Daniel wasn t going to tell her on his
own, so she asked him point-blank. Why did Vincent call you today?
Daniel frowned and avoided her eyes. At first she thought he would ignore her
question completely, but then he said, It s none of your business.
Blame the pregnant hormones or the heartburn or the lack of sleep or the
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