The Truth He Buried With Her Chapter 02

The Truth He Buried With Her Chapter 02

By that afternoon, the official notice was up.

Blair Davenport was assigned to family housing as an unaccompanied person brought back from the southwest.

The receiving unit was responsible for temporary resettlement, and Griffin Prescott was listed as her sponsor.

As soon as the notice hit the bulletin board, Rita Cooper showed up at my place with three other wives.

They didn’t knock. They walked straight into the yard, looked over the row of rooms, and headed for the one facing south.

Rita pushed the door open, turned around inside, and said, “This one’s good. Good light, good air. Perfect for a pregnancy.”

I pulled Leo to my leg and leaned against the doorframe, watching her.

“That’s my son’s room.”

Rita turned to look at me.

“So the kid moves. Big deal. She’s got a baby on the way. What’s your problem?”

Before I could answer, a voice came from behind me.

Blair stood in the yard, holding a gray cloth bundle.

She shook her head at Rita. “I can sleep anywhere, ma’am. Please don’t make trouble for her. I just need somewhere to lie down.”

Rita grabbed her hand and pulled her closer.

She looked like she was protecting her own daughter.

“What are you scared of? I’m right here. They assigned you here. They’re not gonna put you out on the street.”

The other three wives nodded along.

I said nothing.

That evening, the housing mess hall opened for dinner.

Griffin came over with three plates, trying to be attentive.

I sat down with Leo. Just as I picked up my fork, Blair came over from the serving line with a bowl.

She didn’t dare sit next to me. She stood across the table, looking at me with big, nervous eyes.

Leo looked up at her, then at me, and tugged my sleeve.

I glanced up at her.

“Sit down and eat.”

Only then did she set her bowl down and perch on the edge of the bench, face buried in her food, not saying a word.

Rita brought her tray over.

She sat down right next to Blair and plopped a big piece of meatloaf onto her plate.

“Eat up. You’re eating for two now.”

My fork paused.

Griffin held his plate and glanced cautiously at me.

I didn’t even turn my head. I went on putting food into Leo’s bowl.

He watched. I ate.

After the meal, I dropped my bowl in the sink. Passing Griffin, I said one word.

“Outside.”

There was a low wall behind the washhouse.

I backed him against it.

“Is the baby yours or not?”

Griffin leaned against the wall, the back of his head against the brick, eyes down.

After a long moment, he said, “Give me a little more time.”

“How much time? You saw Rita Cooper going at me all through dinner. Were you even listening, or just pretending not to?”

He said nothing.

I turned and left.

The next morning, I went to Battalion HQ to ask around.

A few men on duty sat outside the dispatch office, sunning themselves.

I found a familiar face—Sergeant Nolan—and pulled him aside to ask about Blair Davenport.

His expression changed on the spot.

He didn’t answer. Instead, he said:

“Ma’am, why are you digging into her? She’s pregnant and came all the way from the southwest by bus. Don’t push her into a corner.”

Then he walked off.

I stood at the entrance of Battalion HQ, the sun beating down on my scalp.

Then someone called me from behind.

It was Major Sinclair.

He pulled me into the shade, glanced around, and lowered his voice.

“Ma’am, the day Miss Davenport arrived, she went to the commander’s office first. Later, when we came back, she was already in the vehicle.”

He rubbed his hands together.

“The colonel isn’t that kind of man. You know that. Give him some time.”

I looked at him and said nothing.

Major Sinclair added, “Please don’t overthink it.”

I looked at him. He seemed to realize the situation made overthinking impossible. He gave an awkward smile and walked away.

At home, after I settled Leo, I dug out the letters Griffin had sent from the southwest.

Eight letters in all.

The first three were normal.

After the third, the tone changed.

Looking back now, whatever this was had already started then.