“Finally figuring out what I saw?” Tia asked.

Frazer blew out a steady stream of smoke. It was almost blue, rising slowly in front of her to be whipped away in the wind. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Sure, kid.”

Another drag that felt like denial and tasted like an ashy lie.

“I didn’t realise you had feelings for her.”

Neither had Frazer. “I don’t.”

“Sure.”

* * *

There was nothing like an adoption process to distract yourself from your divorce. Or from the woman you couldn’t stop kissing.

Who was Frazer to look at Cora like that? Or to just, be everywhere, all the time.

Anger had been bubbling in her all afternoon. It had made her meeting with her lawyer easier—she would be making contact with Alec’s lawyer this week. The fact that Cora couldn’t actually divorce him until they proved they had been separated for twelve months was a headache. One year, and she could actually file. For now, they were separated.

And now Jack was looking at Cora with big eyes, three folders on the table between them. The waiter put down their drinks. The relish in Jack’s face was evident as he pulled towards himself the biggest chocolate milkshake Cora had ever seen.

“This is so, so good.” He took another sip on the straw, his cheeks drawn in tight. “Though I’m gonna be peeing every five minutes after it.”

Her own spearmint milkshake was creamy and delicious, yet Cora couldn’t enjoy it. That stupid supply room scene kept playing in her head like a loop. Her guilt at ignoring Frazer’s missed calls didn’t help. The training week was important; she should have been there. The programme was something she was proud of, something that touched on the volunteering she’d always thought she’d do after university, a little piece of herself she’d rediscovered.

She took a long sip and buried down the feeling. “It’s worth it though, right?”

“Totally.”

Spreading the folders out over the table, Cora considered them. “So. What are your thoughts?”

Jack sagged a little, his eyes intent on them. “I don’t know.”

“Any thoughts. Any at all.” Cora mixed them up, like a magician moving cups with a ball inside. “Or we can just pull one out and take that one.”

“That’s tempting.”

Choosing one at random, Cora flicked it open. “Okay. Two dads, no kids, one cat. Thoughts. Go! No thinking.”

“Uh—um.”

“That’s thinking.”

Eyes brighter now, Jack blurted out, “Um, seem nice. One’s an artist, and works from home. The other is some higher-up in a bank. I like that they’re kind of, like, a balance. And the one who works from home does a lot of charity work with some refugee centres.”

“Great, now—” Cora grabbed the second one and flicked it open, “Single mum. And go!”