voice cut through the line, laced with a

know this is hard for you. I' m so sorry for all the pain this has ca

I said, m

to do the right thing. He' s a good man. Can' t you come

SEAL tone he used when he expected to be obeyed. "Sarah, I' m

was an order. The arrogan

d my lips. "Fine, Ma

ay their little games. I had my own plans. A fina

and the scene that greeted me was one of domestic bliss. A fire crackled in the fireplace. The scent of baking cookies hu

always on the move, our lives dictated by his deployme

mile on her face. "Sarah, I' m so glad you came. Mark i

, flaunting her pregnancy,

een in years. He carefully set the tray down, then fussed over Lisa, plumping a

a stranger. The Mark I knew was tough, stoic, his affection shown in quiet gestures, not

feet, my vision tunneling. The stress, the lack of slee

brow furrowed with a flicker of co

But I wasn' t fine. I had to sit down before I collapse

f me. "Drink this. You look pale."

complaining about a craving for a specific brand of i

Mark said immediate

Lisa pouted. "You' ll

kissing her forehead. "Anythi

around her finger. It was

t out a small, theatrical gasp. "O

ask of alarm. "Where? Let me see. Does it hurt?

rformance I had ever seen. The injury was c

tray on the coffee table. It crashed to the floor, and a shard of the b

arm. Blood welled up instantly

t, clutchi

them even l

d foot. He was whispering comforting words, his touch gentle, his

. I remembered a time when I had a small cut on my finger, and Mark had acted like it was a mortal

an was

ain in my heart. This was it. The final, brutal

and forced myself to stay upright. I wrapped a napkin ar

d to th

my voice steady despite

de as if he' d just remembered I wa

id, the words a bitter

fect little house with their perfect little life, and I walked away f