Chapter 3
That night, Ethan came home earlier than usual.
He walked in with a smile and said, "Claire, there's a company dinner on Saturday. We're allowed to bring our families. Want to come with me?"
I shot him a look.
We'd been married for six years, and he'd never once brought me to a company dinner.
"Why the sudden change?" I asked.
"My coworkers keep asking about you. They say it's been years since they've seen you," he replied.
The wife.
Had to stifle a laugh.
"Sure, I'll get ready," I said.
He nodded, then glanced toward the kitchen. "What did you make for dinner?"
"Pan-seared steak, your favorite."
He sat down, cut off a piece of steak, and took a couple of bites. "Your cooking never disappoints."
I sat across from him, watching him.
There wasn't even a flicker of guilt on his face as he praised my cooking.
He was a better actor than I ever gave him credit for.
Saturday.
The company dinner was held at a French restaurant on the east side of town, where they booked two large private rooms.
I wore a simple dress and kept my makeup light.
As we walked in, Ethan put his arm around my shoulders and introduced me to his colleagues. "This is my wife, Claire Winters."
A few of the guys started joking around and called out, "Nice to meet you, Claire!"
I smiled and nodded.
Then I saw her.
Sophie was sitting at the far end of the long table, dressed in a white knit top, with that silk scarf, worth about 1,300 dollars, wrapped around her neck.
She was watching me, too.
As soon as our eyes met, she lifted her glass and took a slow sip of water.
She didn't even flinch, totally calm.
It was like she'd been waiting for this moment all along.
Throughout the whole dinner, Sophie didn't say a single word to Ethan.
But I noticed that when she went to the restroom, Ethan's phone buzzed twice.
He glanced down at it, then quickly locked the screen.
On the way home, Mia was fast asleep in the back seat.
Ethan was driving, and he asked, "How was it today?"
"It was good. Everyone was really friendly," I replied.
"Did you see the new girl, Sophie?"
My heart skipped a beat. "Which one?"
"The one in the corner, wearing white. She's pretty quiet."
"Yeah, I saw her. Why?"
"Nothing, really. We've been working with her a lot on the project lately. She's pretty capable."
He was trying to see how I'd react.
Or maybe he was just laying the groundwork.
"Yeah, she's young, that's all," I said.
He didn't say anything else.
When we got home, he carried Mia upstairs while I changed my shoes at the door.
As I bent down, I noticed a pair of high heels next to his shoes.
They weren't mine.
They belonged to Helen James, Ethan's mother.
Helen was here.
Sure enough, when I pushed open the living room door, Helen was sitting on the couch, watching TV.
"Mom? What brings you here?" I asked.
She glanced up at me. "What, I need to give you a heads-up just to visit my granddaughter?"
"No, I just meant if you'd told me you were coming, I could've gotten a room ready for you."
"Oh, don't bother with all that."
Helen stood up and looked me up and down. "You've gotten thinner again. Is Ethan eating properly at home?"
"I make different dishes every day."
"That's good." She glanced at Ethan as he came down the stairs. "Ethan, I need to talk to you about something."
"What is it?" he asked.
"Your cousin's getting married, and he asked you to be his best man. It's on the eighteenth next month."
"Okay."
"And..." Helen glanced at me. "You and Claire have been married for six years now, and Mia's not a little kid anymore. Don't you think it's about time for a second baby?"
I paused, my hand still on the glass. "Mom, raising one kid is already exhausting."
"Tiring? You're not even working."
She brushed it off like it was nothing.
"Mom, it's not like we have to have another kid, and Mia's still little, " I started.
"Mia's four! How is that little?" Helen cut me off. "Look at your sister-in-law, she's got two kids and still works. You're home all day anyway, so why can't you have another baby?" she said.
I thought, 'Doing nothing?
'Every day, I'm up at 5:30 making breakfast, getting Mia ready and off to school, doing laundry, mopping, grocery shopping, cooking, picking her up, helping with her homework, and putting her to bed.
'Doing nothing?'
"Mom, let's not rush it," Ethan said, stepping in for me for once.
But I knew exactly why he wasn't in a hurry.
In one of his chats with Sophie, she'd written: [When I become your wife, I'll give you a baby boy.]
He just replied with a smiley emoji.
So it turns out, he does want another kid, just not with me.
He just doesn't want to have another kid with me.