“It’s not all roses, I can tell you. Being a single mother can be lonely and a bit scary. Like just now when she suddenly announces she wants to be a computer engineer when all she’s wanted to do since she was four years old is act. I know something’s wrong, but I’ll just have to wait until she’s ready to talk to me. And in the meantime I barely recognize Richard. He’s—” Milly stopped in mid-sentence. “Never mind.”

Nicole nodded. “You’re afraid that if you say what you really think, Zoe might hear you. You can tell me another time, when Zoe is at school.”

“Good idea. We’ll go to the top of a mountain and yell loudly.”

“That sounds therapeutic.” It really did, but best of all was the promise of spending time together. Of trying to find their way back to the friendship they’d both taken for granted for so many years.

“I need to put Richard behind me, and you need to put Justin behind you.” Milly raised her glass in the air. “To moving on.”

Nicole toyed with her glass but didn’t raise it. After everything that had happened, she couldn’t bring herself to toast anything. “That’s an admirable sentiment.”

“But?” Milly put her glass down, her gaze fixed on Nicole’s face. “You’re not still hoping the relationship will work out, are you? Because he’s already—”

“No.” It was a shock to realize just how much she hated thinking about Justin when only a couple of months ago thinking about him had been her favorite pastime. “I’m not hoping for that. It’s over. Done.”

“Then, why can’t you forget about him? Why can’t you just move on?”

Nicole stared across the lake and swallowed hard. “Because I’m pregnant. You asked me what tipped me over the edge. Why I called you. That’s the main reason. I’m having his baby. By myself. And yes, it’s lonely and scary, and also more than a little complicated.”

Chapter 10Milly

Milly loved being a mother but there were times when it would have been nice to know you could have a conversation without being interrupted or overheard. The night before had been a prime example. Nicole made her shock confession (Pregnant! Milly was still reeling from that unexpected news), but before Milly could delve into the details, Zoe had reappeared, homework finished and clearly keen to make up for her earlier disappearing act.

Her presence had effectively shut down the one topic Milly had wanted to talk about.

But even then the conversation hadn’t gone the way she’d anticipated because every time she mentioned Zoe’s drama group, or the play, her daughter changed the subject.

And it was worrying her.