But now? She felt more angry than excited. How could he put her through so much and then, when it was all over, act as though it might’ve been a mistake? She’d pleaded with him to reconsider, to think about their children, to imagine adding stepparents to their children’s lives, to help her avoid having to take turns being with their children for every special occasion in the future. She couldn’t believe he couldn’t see how much better it would be to stay together. Their marriage hadn’t been that bad.

“More or less,” she said.

“Would you ever get back with him?” Terrance asked.

She didn’t know the answer to that question. She supposed she’d wait and see if Axel’s feelings of regret lingered. For all she knew, he’d feel differently tomorrow. It could be that he was just lonely or homesick or having a bout of depression, and he thought some reassurance that he hadn’t lost anything he couldn’t get back would make it better. “I’m not sure,” she admitted.

Terrance toyed with the condensation on his glass. “You don’t think you could forgive him?”

Harper found it difficult to talk about Axel while Tobias was around. The hairs on the back of her neck had been standing up ever since she’d seen him—but in a good way. It was as if she could feel his presence even when she wasn’t looking at him, even though he was in the back of the bar ignoring her. “I could forgive him. It’s just… How would I ever trust his love? I mean, how will I know he won’t change his mind a second time? Decide he’s done with me next year or the year after? Or in ten years? I don’t want to live with the fear that he might call it quits at any moment. I don’t want to go through what I’ve been through all over again.”

Karoline’s hand covered hers for a brief moment. “Those are valid points.”

“People go through periods where they lose sight of what used to be important to them, though,” Terrance pointed out. “Maybe he deserves a second chance.”

Karoline scowled at her husband. “How reliable do you think Axel will be now that he’s so famous?”

“Anyway, it’s not worth discussing,” Harper said. “He didn’t come out and ask for a second chance. He just said he misses me.”