Faux Vows, True Desires

The silence hung heavy in the air that night.

Lucinda groggily sat up to the annoying beep of her alarm clock, fumbled for her phone to shut it off, and flopped back onto the bed, hoping for a few more precious moments of sleep.

But barely a minute had passed before she was sitting up again, this time fully awake.

Stefan, her husband, was nowhere to be seen.

Usually, it was he who killed the alarm, letting her sleep in those few extra minutes.

The sky outside was a dreary gray; it looked like rain was on its way.

"Stefan's always up with the birds," Lucinda grumbled. But she didn't fall back into the arms of slumber. Instead, she slid out of bed, her feet hitting the cold floor.

Her clothes for the day were already laid out by her meticulous husband, even down to the simple bracelet he'd chosen for her to wear. Since she was now just another face in the corporate crowd, her daily jewelry was limited to a single, unassuming piece. Truth be told, Lucinda would rather go without, but Stefan disapproved of her bare wrists. To keep a low profile, she had even removed her wedding ring, much to his chagrin. If she didn't wear at least the bracelet he gifted her, he'd be as long-faced as a horse.

Dressed and freshened up, Lucinda stepped out of the room.

As she made her way downstairs, she could hear the muffled voices of Stefan and Liam, speaking in hushed tones, probably not to wake anyone upstairs.

She caught snippets of Liam's distressed voice: "Stefan, I don't know what to do anymore. Tiffany's lost so much weight. Most expectant mothers gain pounds, but she's shedding them like crazy."

"The doc says morning sickness is normal, but seeing her throw up like that breaks my heart. I wish I could take her place."

vomiting, she won't eat at all, and she's

what do you expect me to do? The doctor

come to you

in times of crisis, but this was one area where Stefan was at a loss. He and

we borrow him for a while, see if Tiff

come with an ulterior

family, you know.

"I haven't seen that kid around in a while. With my wedding coming up, he's avoiding the family gatherings-probably doesn't want to be nagged about settling down. I went to his restaurant, but all

Downstairs, Lucinda emerged.

brothers ceased their conversation at the sound of her

to

couple with a touch of envy. Even after years of marriage, they still acted like lovebirds. He was about to tie the knot with Tiffany, but he couldn't help feeling a twinge of

Stefan asked with a warm smile, reaching out to assist Lucinda down the

went off,

turning it off

of affection,

stood and greeted

on Liam. "Is Tiffany still struggling

not the lack of appetite; it's that she throws up anything she eats. She'd rather starve

throws up if

Tiffany would even vomit first thing in the morning