I bet. I noticed that Laken and her boys weren’t among the throng in the family room. “Where’s Laken?” I can’t resist asking.

Josh frowns, lowers his voice. “Cal said she took the boys and went to her parents’ house on the Cape for the weekend.”

I raise my eyebrows. “Huh, well, I guess that makes today a little easier for you.”

Josh clears his throat. “I promise, okay? Let’s just enjoy Kim’s party.” He brushes past me, nearly spilling my wine. I take another big sip.

When I leave the powder room, Hayes is waiting just outside. “Hey,” I say. “Where’s Alice?”

“Um, upstairs with some of the kids.” He places a hand on my arm. “I’m so sorry, Molly. I wish you’d told me. Maybe I could’ve helped.”

People are naïve, and I shake my head. “No, you couldn’t have, Hayes. It’s my business, and I didn’t want anyone to know, you understand?”

I see the hurt in his eyes and know I’m being an ass, but I can’t help it. The only thing I wanted from Graybridge, from my friends, was anonymity. I didn’t want to be defined by my victimhood. Now that’s over. I never wanted to be seen through that lens, yet I can’t seem to escape it. Confronting my abuser helped in some primal way, made me feel stronger, more in control, but now I’m faced with the other part of the equation, moving forward, facing my friends, and I’m not sure yet how to do that.

He drops his hand. “I care about you, Molly. I’m here like always.”

I take a breath and nod. “Thanks, Hayes. I don’t mean to be rude. Maybe we’ll talk about it someday. But right now, I’m just trying to figure things out.” I walk back down the hall and join the group in the family room. No time like the present to put on a brave face. I listen to Kim’s dad relate another story and laugh with the rest. I drain my wineglass and head to the kitchen for a refill.

Cal is standing before the open fridge, selecting another beer. He sees me out of the corner of his eye. “Hey, you want more wine?” He closes the door and picks up the bottle from the counter.

“Sure.” I hold out my glass, and he fills it nearly to the rim.

Scott walks in. “Got another beer in there?” he asks Cal, who hands him a colorful can. Elise appears behind him, a gold and silver gift bag in her hands. They must’ve just gotten here. She lays the present on the table. “Molly, glad you’re here. Corrine said you’d gone out of town for a couple days.”