Emily laughed. “Yet, huh,” she said. A piece of the guilt she’d been feeling for the past thirteen years dissipated. She hadn’t ruined his life by breaking up the band, by leaving him and their budding music career. “It sounds like you’ve been doing really well. I’m happy for you.”

Rob grinned. “Yeah, it’s been good.”

“I got married, too,” he added, as their food arrived. “Corinne, an actress who never quite acted in anything substantial. The more successful I got, the worse our marriage got. It ended up being real shit, but we don’t need to get into that now. She and I divorced last year—probably should’ve done it sooner. But we made two of the best kids on the planet. Samantha and Melanie. They’re eight and six. They sing together all the time, and they’re good, Queen, they’re really good. Sam just figured out harmony, and I’m telling you, these kids could book gigs, if I let them make a demo.”

Emily had wondered, back then, what Rob would be like as a father. And now she knew. He was just as over-the-top in love with his daughters as he was with music, as he had been with her. It seemed like no matter what he loved, he loved it hard.

Before Emily could respond, Rob had pulled up a video on his phone and passed it over to her. “Listen to them,” he said. “They’re going through an Aladdin phase.”

Emily hit play and two girls with matching aqua-colored eyes and polka-dot bathing suits sat on a lounge chair in front of a swimming pool, holding hands and singing “A Whole New World.” Their connection reminded Emily of her and Ari. And Rob was right, they really could sing. And the little one had his stage presence, her face as animated as the original cartoon.

“They’re great,” Emily said when the song finished, and she handed his phone back.

“My best creations,” he said.

Emily couldn’t help but think about what the baby they’d created would have been like. Was it a girl? Would she have been able to sing like that, too?

“How about you?” Rob asked.

Emily pushed down her thoughts. “I’m married, too. Ezra’s a doctor. No kids yet.” Her voice caught on the last sentence.

“Hey,” Rob said. “You okay?”

Emily wiped the corner of her eye. “I had a miscarriage earlier this week,” she said, surprised that she’d said it but then immediately not surprised. There was still such an easy intimacy between them. And they’d been through so much together.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Rob said. He walked over from his side of the table to envelop her in another hug, this one tighter than the last. Emily pulled strength from it. It felt so good to have a pair of arms around her.