I washed my hands in the bathroom across the hall and looked at myself for a minute. I hadn’t had a haircut in a while, and the longer it got, the worse it looked. I thought of the salon I went to in the Bronx, wondered if Robert, my stylist, missed me or wondered why I hadn’t been in. It seemed like a long time ago, that New York life.

When I got downstairs, Mickey and the baby were gone, and Noah was standing at my easel.

“Shit,” I said. “I’m sorry they left.”

“Marcus has a window of time where he needs to get to sleep or he’ll be up all night,” Noah said. “Is your dad okay?”

“Worn out. I mean, he spoke more today than he has since the stroke, at least on my watch. So it was a great day. I think he was just tired.”

He looked at me a minute. “You’re a good daughter, Sadie.”

“He was a great dad. Is a great dad.”

“And Juliet and your mom? How come they got to go to Boston and you didn’t?”

I sat down on the couch and smiled. “I sent them away like a benevolent overlord. Jules is stressed about something at work, and Mom is exhausted.”

“You must be, too.”

“Nah. I’m fine.”

“Mickey really likes you.”

“She’s great, Noah. You couldn’t have found a better baby mama.” Whoops. He let it slide. “I mean, she’s really fun. And open. Just . . . seems like a great person.”

“She is.”

He nodded at my drawing. “This is really . . . touching.”

“Oh, that. I was just . . . goofing around.”

“It’s beautiful.”

“Thanks. Um, do you want another beer? A whole beer, just for you?”

“I’m good. Thank you.”

So. We were going to sit and look at each other and exchange pleasantries? Nah. That would be boring. “Noah, can I ask you a personal question?”

“No.”

“Why didn’t you—oh. Sorry.”

He laughed, that low, dirty sound. “Go ahead, Sadie. You know you can’t stop yourself.”

I pulled a face. He was right. “Why didn’t you wait to find someone to marry if you wanted kids?”

“I told you. I tried that. Twice.”

“By which you mean me and Gillian?”

“Yes, Sadie. You and Gillian.”

“I’m not wild about the hard ‘G’ on that. I like the other way better. Jillian. Much nicer.”

“I’ll be sure to tell her.”

“So why have a baby with Mickey? You’re not that old.”