r still echoed in Amelia's e

anut butter sandwich still on his plate, cartoons fl

kitchen, knees pulled to her ch

n the house w

s dea

o face Noah again, the day the secret she had carried f

't made it

ook in hi

betrayal. That q

haunt her

-

tore, arms braced on his knees, a cigarette burning slo

taste, hate

his lungs to feel something other tha

red, raking a han

so

ad a

ne had t

. Not even a whisper through t

e ground had sp

years

rds. First birthday.

ad buried his p

n a box marked o

and all the sharp, painful pie

te away, grinding the

he back door

you here," came

usin and part-time foreman, leanin

Jake asked

ed. "Defin

tle. "So it's true,

ep

e's got

nod

closer. "An

answer. He d

ut a breat

Noah sai

na talk

d

d an eyebr

ed. That it was complicated. Like that expl

rgue. He knew

what

w the kid's name. I don't know if he likes trucks or tr

retched be

ly: "His n

h f

hearing it hit so

i

n had

e hadn't

even known existe

, heart racing. "

'll be," Jake sai

un, the name Liam echoing through his ch

-

t the kitchen sink, staring at th

have told h

the courage - or the d

choose, even if she had be

-two, newly pregnant, b

e nerve, he had already left town,

told herself it w

didn't nee

idn't need

t was better

cross the street, and her lie

n the couch, r

om

brushing his hair back.

ded sl

d dinner, her

l Liam the tr

o

as sure it wouldn't

their lives, they could figure out how to

-

oon, fate decid

again - not so soon - but Willow

k against the heat. Amelia moved quickly through the aisles,

er toward the frozen foods

o

, cart jerki

l on Liam, who was busy humming to himsel

t, neither

aid finally

ded once

as if to escape, but Liam loo

id brightly. "You're the

s heart

wn slowly, eye-l

s

, voice gentler than she ex

inosaurs and grilled cheese and Mommy l

ut it didn't r

lancing up at Amelia, "t

"You wanna

om the cart, sh

is hand like it w

t her thro

ral way Liam leaned toward him, the quiet heartbre

s too

e said quickly. "

ut

swee

gave a small wav

ened, towerin

t's going to be?"

is gaze. "I

him," he said.

rs threatening

o be in h

e? Because once you're in it, Noah

ppear," he sna

ds stru

r eyes, breat

me person I was

her a

nce

it wasn't angry

apology she hadn't made, the love she never stoppe

a slip of paper from his wallet. "Wh

took

ingers

ke that - h

-