“Someone signed their name up there. M. Fairchild,” Emma pointed.
“You have good eyes. She’s the artist who painted this for you. She thinks you’re a very special girl.”
Marti signed the mural in the corner using dark blue paint only a few shades lighter than the night sky.
Before either of them said anything about the artist’s name, she rolled off the bed and almost fell again. The room spun and settled when Cameron grabbed her. Again. Unsettled, tired to the bone, and feeling very sad, she gave in and leaned her forehead to his chest. God, he smelled good and felt even better. His big hands held her hips and pulled her close. His breath swept through her hair a second before he kissed her on the top of her head.
“Marti, let me take you to bed.”
She leaned back. Their gazes met, and she glared at him.
“I meant because you’re falling down tired. Literally.”
“Well, I hope it’s what you meant, darling,” Shelly said from the door, turning on the lights.
Marti stepped away from Cameron, away from where she most wanted to be, in his arms.
“Wow. Nice work, Marti. Must have taken you quite a while to oversee all this. Whoever the artist is, they do great work. Maybe we can hire them to do the baby’s room.”
Marti couldn’t listen to any more. She didn’t want this moment ruined too. She’d made this room for the daughter she’d never have, Emma. She wouldn’t listen to Shelly talk about her doing a room for her and Cameron’s baby. The only baby room she was going to do was for her baby, her baby with Cameron.
She went over to the bed and leaned over Emma and whispered into her ear, “I love you, Sugar Bug. I made this room for you. This room will always be your special place. I love you so very much.”
Tears rolled down her cheeks and she didn’t care. She walked out of the room without saying a word of goodbye to Shelly or Cameron. She went down the long hall and into her room.
She fell down on her bed completely exhausted with her feet hanging off the end. She sucked in a deep breath, hoping the extra air would push the hurt out of her chest. No such luck.
Cameron and Emma came in a few minutes later, saw her sprawled on the bed, and looked at each other.
“She’s sleeping, Daddy. We should leave her alone.”
“Why don’t you kiss her goodnight? We’ll thank her for doing the room another time.”
Emma went over to the bed and kissed Marti on the cheek. “I love you too,” she whispered.
Emma gasped when Marti scooped her up onto the bed. Marti held the little girl to her and let the rest of her tears fall. Emma patted her face with her little hand.
“It’s okay to cry,” she whispered.
Cameron took off her shoes and rubbed his hand over her ankle and foot. She pulled her feet away.
“Please, Cameron, take her home. I can’t take anymore.”
Cameron picked up Emma and kissed her cheek. “Emma, wait downstairs for me. Marti is very tired, and she’s already missing you.”
“I miss her too.”
“I know you do, sweetheart. Go. I’ll be there in a minute.”
He waited for her to leave the room and kneeled beside the bed and looked at Marti sobbing. He’d done this to her. Whatever the reason for all the tears, he knew they were his fault.
He brushed her hair away from her wet cheek. “Sweetheart, tell me what’s wrong.”
“I’m tired and it all just overwhelmed me. I can’t bear to let her go.”
He leaned over and kissed a tear from her cheek. “Then you know how I feel about letting you go.”
“Don’t kiss me. Don’t touch me. It hurts too much,” she sobbed. “Go. Leave.”
“I can’t leave you like this.”
“Shelly is waiting for you. Your daughter is waiting for you. Go be with your family. I’m just someone who had a moment with you. Our moment has passed.”
“I live in that moment every minute of every day. Never forget that, my love.”
She sobbed harder. If he cared so much, loved her so much, why wasn’t he marrying her?
She thought about telling him about the baby and decided it wouldn’t change anything. She was so tired. Her heart hurt and she just couldn’t listen to him tell her one more time he was marrying Shelly because of their baby. She couldn’t bear to hear him say his baby with her