"Oh my God, girl! Sometimes I dream of having a washing machine! Hand washing these clothes is enough to drive me mad!" Anna vented to her best friend, her frustration pouring out like the soapy water from the bucket she had next to her.
With her phone tucked away in her back pocket and her earpiece snugly in her ear, she sorted through a mountain of laundry, carefully separating the dark colors from the lighter ones.
"I know, right?" she exclaimed, nodding along to her friend's words even though she couldn't see her.
"And those jeans of Jack's? They're ridiculously thick! He never bothers to wash them! Honestly, my husband is the laziest when it comes to laundry. But I shouldn't complain too much, he makes the best dinner. Cooking? Ugh, I absolutely dread it."
As she meticulously checked each pocket, memories flooded her mind of that one time she'd pulled out a slip that would have sent her into a panic if it had been washed away. Since then, she had made it a rule to inspect every pocket thoroughly, and today it felt like it was taking ages. Mostly because she was trying to pay attention to her friend's chatter.
"I mean, I'd take laundry duty over cooking any day! I can manage laundry twice a week, that's easy! But cooking? That's a daily grind!" she continued, but then something caught her eye, halting her mid-sentence.
While her best friend rambled on, Anna pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from Jack's jeans. Curiosity piqued, she unfolded it, hoping it was just a random grocery receipt.
And then she saw it. Her heart skipped a beat as her eyes zeroed in on an item listed on the receipt. "Diapers?" she whispered, her voice barely escaping her lips.
"Oh, sorry Tess! I got distracted!" she quickly apologized, her mind racing. The unexpected item on the receipt sent a jolt of unease through her, especially since they had no children and, as far as she knew, neither did any of Jack's family.
"Can I call you back? Please?" she blurted out before hastily ending the call, her mind swirling with thoughts as she stared at the slip in disbelief.
"Who the hell is this for?" Anna pondered aloud, her brow furrowed in confusion as she stared at the receipt. It was dated two days ago, and the total amount was nothing short of outrageous.
At first glance, it could have been a mix-up, but Jack's name was boldly written across the top. But why in the world would he buy a mountain of baby supplies when he had just spent the week lamenting his financial struggles to her?
For over a week, she had covered their household expenses with her freelance writing income, which barely scraped by. As much as she hated to admit it, a chilling thought drifted into her mind: what if Jack had a child with someone else?
She tried to dismiss it, but she couldn't ignore the nagging suspicion. After all, she was infertile, a reality that loomed over her like a dark cloud. Jack had reassured her countless times that his love wasn't conditional on having children, but the fear of losing him hung over her more heavily than ever.
Every new worry piled on top of the last, and this one felt like a crushing weight. The evidence felt undeniable, yet she fought against the urge to jump to conclusions.
Determined to get to the bottom of this, Anna rose from the mountain of clothes that surrounded her and clutched the receipt tightly in her hand. She turned towards the kitchen, ready to confront Jack, but then something stopped her in her tracks.
She remembered the trousers she had pulled the receipt from and hastily searched the other pockets. Nothing.
"Okay," she sighed, attempting to steady herself. "Let's get this cleared up."
With a mask of composure, Anna made her way through the living room, determined not to let her emotions spill over. She knew that a fight wouldn't yield answers. Instead, it would only deepen the rift she feared was growing between them.
"Jack?" she called, her voice steady from the kitchen doorway, though her heart raced a little faster.
"Huh?" He turned, his warm brown eyes locking onto hers, but the moment she approached with the receipt in hand, she noticed the flicker of panic in his expression.
"I was just curious," Anna said, unfolding the paper and presenting it to him.
"Are we expecting a baby or something?"
The moment Jack's gaze fell on the receipt, his pulse quickened. Caught off guard, he mentally berated himself, how could he have forgotten to toss it?
"Nah... it's for a friend," he said, his voice steady but lacking its usual warmth.
"He sent money to me to buy this stuff for his wife. He's at the hospital, and couldn't leave her side for a minute."
It sounded plausible, but Anna's instinct screamed otherwise. She offered a wavering smile, hoping to mask her rising suspicion.
"Oh, don't be upset," she replied, feigning lightness.
"I guess I tend to overthink sometimes."
Jack smiled back, drawing her in for a comforting embrace and pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. In that instant, Anna felt the rapid thumping of his heart against her own, there was something off.
"He's lying," her mind screamed, fueling her desire to dig deeper before confronting him directly.
"Once I save up some money from my new job," Jack was saying,
"We can go ahead with that procedure that the doctor suggested. Then you won't have to worry so much."
"Yeah," Anna mumbled, though her thoughts were elsewhere.
"I think the fries are burning."
"Oh crap!" Jack exclaimed, breaking free from their embrace to dash to the stove.
"Could've been worse."
With a rehearsed smile, Anna replied,
"I'll be outside washing their clothes at the tap. Let me know when dinner's ready." She exited the kitchen, not daring to look back, her heart heavy with the uncertainty that lingered in the air.