Chapter 2
David walked into the kitchen and put the kettle on.
He set the water temperature to 104 degrees Fahrenheit, took my usual stomach medicine out of the first-aid kit, and placed it next to the cup. "You've been drinking. You should eat something first."
With his back to me, he moved around the kitchen with calm, practiced efficiency.
As if what had been uncovered tonight wasn't years of deception, but just another time I'd forgotten to take care of myself.
Seven years ago, when my dad passed away, my mom holed up at home.
David stuck with me through it all, shuttling between two cities and crashing on the living room couch for a whole month.
One early morning, I was sitting on the floor and told him I couldn't take it anymore.
He wrapped my hand in his. "You don't have to hold on. I'm here."
So many times after that, I got through it all because of those words.
Now, he slid the same warm cup toward me.
For a split second, I almost believed that if he just gave me a real explanation, maybe those seven years hadn't gone completely to waste.
I watched the steam curl up from the cup. "Joanna is your wife, and that kid is yours, too?"
David's fingers froze on the rim of the cup. "Yes."
He didn't deny it or make excuses. He just laid it out, brutally honest.
"I was going to wait until my son was older before telling you. Tonight wasn't supposed to happen," he said.
"So what happens after you tell me?" I asked.
"Life goes on. Nothing changes."
He said it like it was just business as usual, totally unfazed.
"You stay here. I'll drop by every week. I'll keep helping your mom out with whatever she needs. Joanna and the kid have their own place, so you won't have to deal with them," he added.
I looked at him. "So, which days am I penciled in for? Only when you're not busy playing husband and dad? When you don't have to show up as the perfect family man?"
He frowned. "Don't make it sound so harsh. Marriage is about responsibility, not love."
He sat down across from me, his tone softening. "I only married her so the kid could have a proper, stable home. You know there's nothing real between me and her."
"Does she know about me?" I asked.
David stayed silent.
A hollow ache twisted in my stomach, my fingers clinging to the warm cup.
"Claire, I don't want to lose you." David placed his hand gently over mine. "You're the only place I truly want to come home to. No one knows how I've treated you these past seven years better than you."
He was right about that.
Every time he got back from a trip, he'd swing by just to see me first. He always remembered my mom's check-up dates, and when he was worn out, he'd only ever crash at my place.
Out in public, he was always cool and collected, never letting anyone see him vulnerable.
But when he was with me, he'd lean his head on my shoulder and say, "Just give me ten minutes to be quiet," like I was the only place he could really relax.
He really did depend on me.
But that didn't mean I ever got to be his real family.
"So you think that's fair?" I asked.
David pulled his hand back and leaned back in his chair. "At least I haven't shortchanged anyone.
"Joanna wanted her kid to have a father, and I gave her that.
"You never wanted to be tied down by family stuff, and you never pushed me to get married.
"What I gave you was the only thing that was real between us."
I set the cup down. "I never pushed you because you promised you'd marry me once your company was stable."
"Plans change."
"What about my child?"
David's expression finally changed. "That's not even an issue."
I met his eyes. "When Joanna got pregnant, her kid got a father, a place in the family, and a real home.
But when it was me, why is it always just 30,000 dollars?"
His jaw clenched. "It's different. You just weren't ready at the time."
"Who says so?"
"You let it happen."
The living room fell silent.
"Before my second abortion, I asked you what would happen if I kept the baby," I said. "You said to wait two more years."
David avoided my gaze. "There was no way we could keep it back then."
"Why?"
He stood up, grabbed the now-cold cup, and dumped the water in the sink. "You're not yourself tonight. Get some rest, and I'll lay it all out for you when you're feeling better."
I stood up, too. "I just want to know one thing. When did you and Joanna get married?"
He froze in front of the water dispenser.
Water overflowed the cup, running down his fingers, but he didn't let go until it was too late.
"Claire, knowing all the details won't help anyone," he said.
I grabbed my phone and canceled the appointment for tomorrow.
David saw the notification, and his expression darkened. "Don't risk your health just to make a point."
"I'm not stupid."
"Then let's push it to the day after tomorrow. Your mom can be there with you."
He still thought I'd just go along with it.
He still thought this time was no different from before.
I walked into the bedroom, glancing back at him before closing the door. "You won't say it, but that date was before my second time at the clinic, wasn't it?"
David didn't answer. But he just kept holding that cup, as if letting go was the hardest thing in the world.