Sadie whispered, “Love you” before pulling the door closed. The door to her and Ethan’s room was ajar. She could see him sitting up in bed wearing his thick-rimmed Persols that had always turned her on, especially paired with his bare chest and plaid pajama pants. He glared at his phone with worried concentration, his brows furrowed and his lower teeth latched on to his top lip.

She stepped into the lamplight. “No Boston?”

“No.” He didn’t look up. “Mom got worked up after all the commotion, so I put her up in a B&B. And since our two-year-old can’t stay home alone…”

“Yeah, he’d throw a rager. Goldfish crackers everywhere and a keg full of juice.”

Her husband took off his glasses and polished the lenses with the sheet. “You can’t just take off like that.”

“A little hypocritical coming from the guy who drove off leaving me to deal with burnt cupcakes, a soaked kitchen, and a toddler,” she said. “And if you were so concerned, why didn’t you come after me?”

Ethan shook his head. “I didn’t want to get into it again.”

Nice. So his fear of arguing outweighed his concern for her well-being or safety. Real heartwarming.

“I ended up at a fund-raiser with Renee, for the summer arts program.”

“Oh.”

“And now I’m going to bed,” she said flatly, disappearing into the master bathroom.

She brushed her teeth and then scrubbed her face with a makeup-removing facial wipe before slipping into a pair of silk pajamas. The floral-printed set was quite the upgrade compared to the sweatpants and oversized T-shirt she usually wore to bed.

She studied her reflection in the mirror. At first glance, she looked like a pretty young mother. But when she really examined herself, there were bags beneath her eyes and her skin looked dry and sallow.

Worst of all, she looked sad.

“You haven’t worn that in a while,” Ethan said when she scooted into the bed beside him.

She didn’t know what to say, so she just nodded, plumping her pillow.

“I shouldn’t have said what I did before,” he said, turning to face her.

“Which part?”

“Any of it. Listen. I’m excited about this baby. I really am.” He took her cold hands in his warm ones and squeezed. “I love being a father, and I can’t wait to see Lincoln be an older brother.”

Sadie sniffed, her throat getting tight. “I’m excited, too, but I’m also really scared, Ethan. It’s like you said, I’m overwhelmed as it is. And it was really hard recovering from birth the last time.”

He gathered her close and she relaxed into his gentle strength. This, this, was her Ethan. Not the guy she screamed at from the front porch. But this man who made her feel protected and loved.

“I know it gets stressful. Maybe sometimes I idealize it in my head, you know? When I’m down in Boston, I think of you and Lincoln, all cozy in our cottage, and I think how amazing that sounds, how much I want to be here with you both.”