Tainted Love: contemporary womens fiction love story and family saga (Behind Closed Doors Book 1) Read Free Page A

the tears in his eyes as he spoke to her for the first time. “Hi baby girl, I’m your dada.”
    Oh, my God! I’d have done it a thousand times to see that moment over... and over... and over... I think I’d have fallen in love with him every time... and all was definitely forgiven.
     
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    You know, she has the biggest brown eyes; they're a shade darker than her dad's. And she never really lost the dark hair. I guess she got it from him too. But she was a teeny, tiny baby, and the most precious person in this world to me! I worried sometimes how small she was. I mean, she grew awfully fast but the doctors said she was below average for a baby her age. Mom told me not to worry, that I was a small baby too, and I guess I have been small all my life. But you know, I’m her mom and it’s my job to worry.
    We had a routine at home fairly quick. Georgia and I would get up before Cal and have breakfast ready for him. Then we’d tidy up a little after he’d left for work. After lunch we’d do the laundry, and then we’d leave to pick you up from kindergarten. We’d visit with Mom for a little bit before I’d bathe Georgia and get her ready for bed. When Cal came home from work, he’d sit with her while I cooked dinner, and then I’d put her to bed. I slept so lightly there was no point for Cal to get up with her at night. Oh he tried, and he tried to clean up, and he tried to do the laundry, and he tried to wash the dishes, but I had it covered.
    Well, I thought I had it covered.
    One night, I’d put Georgia in her crib and decided to take a hot bath. I swear I only closed my eyes for a second. The water was so warm, so relaxing. I felt like I hadn’t wound down in years. The next thing I knew, Cal was standing beside me. He had a red-faced Georgia in his arms and tears streaked down her cheeks. I hadn’t heard her crying but that wasn’t why he wasn’t happy with me.
    He just looked at Georgia and tapped her nose and walked away saying in a cutesy little voice “Mommy nearly killed herself in the bath. Yes, she did. She did.” The water sloshed everywhere as I sat up and heard, “Maybe Mommy will let Daddy help out every now and again. And then maybe next time Mommy has a bath, Daddy won’t have to worry if his baby girl might grow up without her Mommy.”
    I couldn’t have felt guiltier if he’d yelled at me for hours.
     

 
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Five
     
    June 1979
     
    Once Cal was sure I handled being a mom, he and I discussed my return to nursing. He wanted to move away from the area we lived. It wasn't safe; the schools nearest to us were not as good the schools you and Uncle Robert’s daughter, Izzy were going to and we were too far away from my parents though it really wasn’t that far. Do you remember getting the bus with me from school every day?
    I think what bothered Cal more was living next door to people who had "problems" in their marriage. Our neighbors would have loud arguments at all hours of the day. Objects would crash and smash in the house. Doors would bang. It wasn’t unusual for the wife to have bruises, cuts, or swellings. You see, back then, what happened between husband and wife was no one else's business. As our Nan had once told me, what happened behind closed doors stayed behind closed doors.
    But Cal really didn't like the idea of Georgia and I being close to a man who’d beat his wife while he was at work all day, and we just couldn't move away without the extra income. Just between you and me, I couldn't see myself as a housewife for the rest of my life either. I was thrilled with the idea, and made arrangements to continue my training at the hospital after our first anniversary.
    I'll never forget our first anniversary. I'd planned a slap-up meal of sirloin from a butcher Mom knew and an apple pie made just like Mom showed me. Cal's a sucker for Mom's apple pie. The entire community's a sucker for Mom's pie. Do you still make it? You mustn't forget how, you know?