Watching Emma watching their son filled him with a powerful sort of love and fear. He loved them both so much and was terrified he wasn’t protecting them the way a husband and father should.

“We should put up the Christmas decorations,” Nate said.

Emma didn’t answer, just kept stroking Josh’s cheek.

“Em?”

“Hmm?”

“Did you hear me?”

“Sorry, no.”

“I said we should put up the Christmas decorations.”

She groaned and let her head fall back against the couch. “I know. I’m just so tired.”

She stared at the ceiling, not speaking, for a long time. It was hard to read her face. Nate couldn’t help feeling like she wasn’t really here with him. Her body was, but her mind was somewhere else.

He wondered if he was being paranoid or if it was just the stress of having a sick child. The cop in him said there was no evidence that Emma was cheating. But the husband in him wasn’t convinced.

Now was his chance. He should ask her what was going on. But he couldn’t seem to get the words out. Maybe a part of him didn’t want to know. His son might die; he couldn’t lose his wife too.

Bigger than that, though, Nate knew that if Emma was having an affair, he wouldn’t be able to stay. And Josh needed both of his parents right now. Nate wouldn’t jeopardize his son’s health for his own paranoia and pride.

The space between him and Emma felt immense and insurmountable. He wondered what the hell was going on in her head. Sometimes he wondered if she ever thought about what was going on in his.

“Did you see the GoFundMe page?” he asked with a cheerfulness he didn’t feel.

Emma shook her head.

“Someone donated five thousand dollars. It’ll pay down some of the treatment costs.”

Emma’s eyes widened. “Seriously?”

She fumbled on the side table for her phone and checked the website for Josh’s GoFundMe page. “Oh, thank God.” She clenched the phone to her chest and closed her eyes, looking more relieved than surprised.

“The community’s really pulling for us.”

Emma glanced at him. Her face betrayed no emotion. She’d retreated behind a mask.

“Yes,” she said slowly. “Maybe Moira’s church?”

Nate frowned. “The donation was anonymous. I’m not sure why they’d do it anonymously.”

“Honestly, I don’t care who did it, I’m just glad Josh can get his treatment.”

“I wish we could at least thank them,” Nate said.

“Yes—oh God!” Emma shut her eyes. “But this will only help with one bill! What about the next one, and the one after that, and all our deductibles and—”

“Hey.” Nate squeezed her leg. “It’s going to be okay.”

She clamped her lips together. “Of course. You’re right.”