Josh giggled, and Nate rolled his eyes, unable to hide his smile. Emma had taught that trick to him the other day, and Josh had been asking Alexa about farts ever since.

“Josh, Grandma’s listening to music.”

“No, no, it’s fine.” Moira turned the music off.

“Is Siri Alexa’s best friend?” Josh asked.

Moira chuckled and kissed Josh’s cheek. “You remind me so much of your father when he was your age!”

“I look like Mommy, though.”

Josh looked at Nate, who shrugged. It was true, Josh was all Emma, from his dark hair to his sharp jaw. His eyes were blue, but not Nate’s dark blue, Emma’s lighter sapphire blue. He was strong-willed and determined, in a way Nate loved.

“But you have your daddy’s smile.” Moira turned to Nate. “Where’s, uh…” Her eyes flickered behind Nate.

Nate’s gut clenched with a familiar disappointment. “Emma will be here in just a few minutes.”

Moira nodded and resumed serving up stew—but not before Nate noticed the scowl on her face. She’d never explained exactly why she didn’t like Emma. He’d asked her once, the day Emma and he had gotten married. He’d arrived at the courthouse, and Moira had been waiting on the steps outside. She’d pulled him aside and whispered urgently in his ear.

“It isn’t too late. There’s no shame in canceling this.”

“Mom, we’re having a baby!”

“Well… accidents happen.”

“Mom!” He’d pulled away, stunned. “What’s your problem with Emma?”

“Nothing. She’s lovely.”

“Then you need to accept she’s going to be my wife.”

He’d brushed past his mother without another word.

Sometimes he felt stuck between them. As if he had to choose sides. He felt guilty, like he was doing something wrong, when all he wanted was to take care of his mother because she was all alone. He wanted to take care of Emma too, but she was fiercely independent and so strong. She didn’t need him the way his mom did. And maybe he liked that a little. It was nice to feel like for once he didn’t have to carry the burden all by himself. That he had a partner.

“I’m going to go wash up,” he told Josh and his mom now.

Upstairs, he headed for his office, first grabbing a sheet of tracing paper from Josh’s room. He pulled the business card he’d taken from the morgue out of his pocket and laid it flat on the surface of the desk.

He’d nearly shit himself when he bumped into Emma at the hospital. He’d only decided to stop by the morgue to get the business card from the evidence bag at the last minute after promising Emma he’d come home.

Maybe, he realized, he’d felt like Emma was lying because he had been lying.