Ivan dashed downstairs and hurled himself into Aldo’s lap, curling up and falling asleep in .2 seconds.

“That’s bullshit,” Aldo said. “He didn’t lose the ability to love when Karen died. He lost the ability to be brave. It’s gotta stop. He’s throwing away a lifetime of happiness. A future. All because he’s scared.”

Gloria spun the stem of the wineglass in her hand. “He’s not scared. He’s sure. He’s positive that he can’t love her, and he wants her to find someone who will. It’s kind of… I don’t know. Noble in a sad, twisted way.”

“Don’t tell me you buy that crap he sold you. That’s fear, Gloria,” Aldo insisted. “He’s scared to get hurt again. He’s scared to lose again.”

“He’s damaged. You said yourself you can’t fix someone else. Harper can’t fix Luke,” Gloria reminded him.

You can’t fix me. The thought rose up and bloomed between them, getting bigger and uglier. It felt like the truth.

She took a shaky breath and pressed on. “And he doesn’t want her to make a mistake trying to love him. That’s why it’s so hard for him to be around Joni. She’s a reminder of what happened. That’s how I feel every time I see Mrs. Diller. That woman will be a permanent reminder to me of all the mistakes I made just because we share a town.”

Aldo, still cradling Ivan in one arm, turned to look at her. God, he was so handsome it hurt to look at him. Low-slung sweatpants, a tissue-thin t-shirt that looked about a decade old. His hair, dark and curling, and that scruff of beard over his jaw. She loved him so much. At least, she thought she did.

Maybe this wasn’t love. Maybe this was some misguided attempt to be whole again. She felt sick again.

“Hey. You sound stressed. How about a bath? I’ll run one for you. Candles, music. No cat. You go up there and shut out the world for a while. I’ll order a pizza, and we’ll call it a night.”

Goddammit. Why was he so good to her? Did she even deserve it? Or was she wasting his time the way Luke had wasted Harper’s?

The difference was Luke was sure he didn’t love anyone, and Gloria was no longer sure what love was.

“I think I should go,” she said, setting the glass of wine down and rising.

“Go? Why?”

“I just…I need some time alone to think.”

Aldo put the cat down on the couch and came to his feet. “Talk to me, Gloria.”