Chapter 4

“Why are we taking flowers to Sophie if this is supposed to be just us?”

Ethan glanced at the second bouquet in Noah’s hands.

“He wants to drop them off after brunch.”

“She isn’t joining us?”

“No.”

His answer came without hesitation. I wanted to believe it, so I got into the car.

At the restaurant, the hostess led us to a table for four.

Four chairs. Four glasses. Four folded napkins.

For the first time all week, Ethan appeared to have kept his word.

Noah gave me my bouquet before we ordered. The card said Mom, written in his uneven handwriting.

“Happy Mother’s Day,” he said.

“Thank you, sweetheart.”

Lily moved two strawberries from her plate to mine because she knew they were my favorite. Ethan filled my coffee and asked whether I wanted to share the French toast.

For twenty minutes, we almost looked like the family I had been trying to save.

Then Noah’s face brightened.

“Sophie!”

She was walking toward our table with a gift bag in one hand.

I looked at Ethan. He concentrated on cutting Lily’s pancakes, but a red flush had already reached his neck.

Sophie stopped beside Noah.

“Ethan said someone had a surprise for me.”

Noah lifted the yellow bouquet.

“Happy Mother’s Day, Bonus Mom.”

Sophie looked down at the card. Her lips parted, and then she pulled Noah into a hug.

“Oh, honey. These are beautiful.”

He beamed against her shoulder.

I held my own flowers tighter. Noah had not chosen between us. Ethan had taught him that giving my title away was another act of kindness.

“Did you ask her to come here?” I asked.

Ethan set down the knife.

“I told her Noah wanted to give her something.”

“You said we would take the flowers to her after brunch.”

“I said she could stop by. That isn’t the same as inviting her to eat.”

He had changed the wording, not the truth.

Sophie glanced between us.

“I don’t want to interrupt. I only came for the flowers.”

“Stay,” Noah said. “You can sit by me.”

Lily looked at the empty space beside her. “Are you eating with us?”

Before Sophie answered, Ethan reached behind him and pulled a chair away from the next table.

The wooden legs scraped across the floor.

“Put it back,” I said.

Ethan positioned the chair between himself and Noah.

“It’s one chair, Grace.”

“No. It’s the one thing you promised me you wouldn’t do.”

Sophie remained standing, but she placed her gift bag on the floor beside the new chair. The yellow flowers stayed in her arms.

“I can leave,” she said quietly.

Noah’s smile vanished. “Why does she have to leave?”

“She doesn’t,” Ethan said. “Your mother is upset with me. This has nothing to do with you.”

He had lied to me, but somehow my reaction was already becoming the thing that threatened our children’s happiness.

I turned to Noah.

“You haven’t done anything wrong. Your father and I are discussing a promise he made.”

Ethan leaned toward me.

“Can you stop making everything so serious for five minutes?”

“I asked for one meal with my husband and children.”

“And she stopped by. You’re acting like she broke into our house.”

A server approached before I could answer. She looked at Sophie, then at the chair blocking part of the aisle.

“Will someone else be joining you?”

I waited.

Ethan could still put the chair back. Sophie could take her flowers and leave. We could finish the meal he had promised me.

Instead, he moved the chair closer to the table.

“Could we get one more place setting?”

The server nodded and carried away the unused menu from the next table.

Something inside me settled.

“If she sits down, I’m leaving,” I said.

Ethan stared at me. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I mean it.”

The server returned with a plate, a glass, and silverware wrapped in a clean white napkin. She placed them in front of Sophie.

Ethan pushed my chair toward me.

“Sit down, Grace.”

I did not move.

His voice dropped low enough that the children had to strain to hear him.

“If you walk out of here, don’t bother coming home.”

He expected me to sit down. I could see it in the way he kept one hand on my chair, already making room for my surrender.

I slipped off my wedding ring.

His hand stopped.

I placed the ring beside Sophie’s new place setting.

“Okay,” I said.