Between Two Hearts

Chapter 41

Later that evening, after their day at the park, Shelly stood in the kitchen, tidying up while Shaina sat at the dining table, working on a coloring book. The hum of normalcy felt grounding after the emotional whirlwind of the past few days. Spencer had left after dinner, giving Shelly and Shaina some space, but he promised to check in tomorrow.

As Shelly rinsed the dishes, her mind wandered back to Veer. His unexpected call earlier that week had reopened wounds she thought were buried. She hadn’t told Spencer about it yet. A part of her didn’t want to burden him with the complicated history, but she knew that to truly move forward, she’d have to confront her past.

“Mommy?” Shaina’s voice cut through her thoughts.

Shelly turned to find her daughter holding up a drawing. “Look! It’s us at the park! And Mr. Spencer is there too!”

The crayon sketch depicted the three of them under a big tree, all smiling. Shelly felt her heart squeeze.

“That’s beautiful, sweetie,” Shelly said, kneeling down to admire it. “You’re so talented.”

Shaina grinned. “Do you think Mr. Spencer will like it? I want to give it to him.”

Shelly hesitated but then nodded. “I think he’ll love it.”

Shaina’s innocent enthusiasm tugged at Shelly’s heart. Her daughter had clearly grown attached to Spencer, and that scared her. What if this didn’t work out? What if she was setting Shaina up for disappointment?

Later that night, after tucking Shaina into bed, Shelly sat on the couch with a glass of wine, staring at her phone. Veer’s number stared back at her from the call log. She had ignored his message, but the words still echoed in her mind: “We need to talk. It’s about Shaina.”

She hated the power those words held over her. Veer had always known how to manipulate her emotions, even when they were married. His infidelity had shattered her trust, but his gaslighting had left deeper scars, making her doubt herself at every turn.

Her finger hovered over the call button before she sighed and set the phone down.

A knock at the door startled her. Frowning, she glanced at the clock—9:30 p.m. It was late for visitors. She crossed the room cautiously and peeked through the peephole.

It was Spencer.

Shelly opened the door, surprised. “Spencer? What are you doing here?”

He held up a small paper bag. “You left your scarf in my car. I figured you might need it. Also…” His voice softened as he studied her face. “You look like you could use some company.”

Shelly stepped aside, letting him in. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“I wanted to,” he said simply, placing the bag on the table.

They settled on the couch, the weight of the day pressing down on them both. Shelly cradled her wine glass, while Spencer sat beside her, his presence steady and grounding.

“Shaina drew something for you,” Shelly said after a moment, reaching for the colorful sketch on the coffee table. She handed it to him with a small smile.

Spencer’s face lit up as he took the drawing. “This is amazing. She’s got talent for sure.” He traced the crayon lines with his finger. “Tell her I’ll hang it on my fridge.”

“I will,” Shelly said, her smile lingering before fading.

Spencer noticed the shift immediately. “What’s on your mind?”

She hesitated, swirling the wine in her glass. “Veer called me.”

Spencer’s expression darkened slightly, but he didn’t interrupt.

“He said he wants to talk about Shaina,” Shelly continued. “I don’t know what he’s planning, but I can’t shake the feeling that it’s nothing good.”

Spencer leaned forward, his voice steady. “Do you think he’s trying to cause trouble?”

“I don’t know,” Shelly admitted. “He’s unpredictable. And after everything he did… I don’t trust him.”

Spencer reached out, covering her hand with his. “You’re not alone in this, Shelly. Whatever Veer’s trying to do, we’ll handle it together.”

His words warmed her, but they also scared her. Letting Spencer in meant trusting him with the messiest parts of her life. Could she do that?

“I appreciate that,” she said softly. “But this is my fight. Veer and I have a lot of unfinished business, and I need to figure out how to handle him without dragging anyone else into it.”

Spencer frowned but nodded. “Okay. But promise me one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“If you need help, you’ll let me know. You don’t have to do this alone, Shelly.”

The sincerity in his voice made her chest tighten. For so long, she had shouldered everything on her own, convinced that relying on anyone else was a weakness. But Spencer was proving her wrong in so many ways.

“I promise,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Spencer stayed a while longer, their conversation shifting to lighter topics. By the time he left, Shelly felt a little more at ease, though Veer’s looming presence still cast a shadow over her thoughts.

As she locked the door behind Spencer, she allowed herself a small moment of hope. Maybe this time, she wouldn’t have to face the storm alone.

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