It was a crisp, clear night. The moon was out finally after six straight days of snow and ice, but Grey insisted that they take a walk in the back yard. He loved his mother’s elaborate garden even during the dead of winter with its beautiful statues and elegant landscaping. It had been the envy of Central Gardens since its conception during the post-civil war era.
The Henderson mansion was purchased in the early thirty’s by Jefferson Henderson, the son of a freedman from Michigan who had done well with the lumber trade. He purchased it from direct descendents of very wealthy slave owners who could no longer maintain the treasure during the Great Depression. The two-story antebellum home was on the national registry as a historic landmark and the pride of the community much to the Henderson’s delight.
“Why are we out here in the freezing cold?” Ivy asked shivering under her waist length silver mink coat.
“Well, I wanted to talk to you about something that has really been on my mind.” Grey looked at Ivy to read her very obvious body language. “You’ve been distant for a few weeks now. And I wonder if it is because of the baby or because you don’t want to have it?”
For a moment, there was complete silence and all that could be heard was the snow under their feed as they walked.
“How did you know, Grey? Did Trina tell you?” Tears began to form in the corners of her eyes.
“No, I’ve just been watching you. You normally call me when your cycle comes to congratulate me on a job well done,” he said jokingly. “Plus, you’ve been under the weather and moody. And tonight when you wouldn’t take the champagne, I just…knew.” He looked at her and noticed there was more behind her discomfort than just him knowing that she was pregnant.
“I never meant for this to happen.” She stopped walking and took his hand. “I never meant for….you to have to find out this way.” She wiped the tears from her cheeks.
“Baby, it’s okay. I’m cool with it.” He kissed her gloved hands and smiled. “People have babies every day. Why should we be any different? What are you so worried about? You know that I will take care of us.”
“Things just aren’t what they seem,” she said in a faint whisper.
Grey searched Ivy’s beautiful face in the moonlight. There was a distress in her eyes he could not understand. This made his stomach knot up in nervousness. What was he missing? Taking a deep breath, he stepped away.
“Ivy, what is it?” he asked quietly.
“I don’t think that we should talk about it here.” Ivy looked away. “I was hoping we could talk after the holidays.”
“No, we’re going to talk right now. I’m not willing wait.” Grey grabbed Ivy’s hand. “Now, tell me what’s going on?”
Ivy stood silently for a moment in disbelief that she was about to confess such a dirty little secret to the man that she loved and wanted desperately to marry. Stuttering, she tried to keep her balance in the three-inch snow that chilled her ankles under her leather boots.
“I slept with someone while we were apart,” Ivy said shivering in fear. “I thought that when you left me, it was over for good. When you came back, I didn’t know how to tell you. I’m so sorry.” She began to cry as she watched Grey’s face turn cold and stoic. Looking through her or past her, he stood silent for a moment blocking out the sound of her painful sobs.
“So, you’re crying because you cheated on me?” The very thought was preposterous to him. “Or are you crying because you’re pregnant?” Surely, it couldn’t be both.
“Grey, I’m so sorry,” she said reaching for his hand.
“Are you crying because you’re pregnant or because you cheated on me?” He bagged away.
“Because I don’t know who the father of this child is and I’m already through my first trimester.” A final tear fell to her cheek as she tried to stand tall. Her very act was revolting enough; there was no room for self-pity, but she overflowed with it.
Bitch!!! Grey thought to himself as he wiped the tears from his face. He turned away and looked up the moon glaring down on him, laughing at him. He could no longer feel the bone-wrenching cold winds. He could no longer hear his fiancée sobbing. All could he could do was allow the tears to fall. He wanted to double over and die. He wanted to scream and shout and…he wanted to kill the bastard that had touched her! He tried to stop the tears as they flowed freely down his cheeks. Sniffling he turned around to try and tolerate the sight of this woman in front of him. Who was she, and what had she done with his Ivy?
It was far too much for Ivy to bear. The sheer weight of her burden caused her to crumble down into the snow at the base of his feet. Her hair glimmered like black silk. Trying to hide her face, she held on to his leg.
Coming back to present situation from the distant thoughts in the back of his mind, Grey looked down at Ivy and felt a surge of both anger and empathy.
“Get up,” he said picking her up out of the snow.
“Please. Please forgive me,” Ivy said holding on to Grey’s jacket. “I’m so sorry.”
“Just answer me this. How can you smile in face, be with my family, make love to me, knowing that you had betrayed my trust?” His voice was distant and solemn.
“I didn’t think ever in a million years that this would happen.” She looked down in the snow again unable to make eye contact with him.
“I can’t believe you.” Grey turned away and took a deep breath. He was starting to get a migraine.
“Grey...”
“Don’t say another
