The smile fell off his face as his brain processed what he was seeing. He took them in all at once. Every single picture of Eric and Lauren—Eileen had laid them out in a grid across their bed, for easy viewing.

She watched her husband avoid looking at them. He stared at the floor near his feet. “You said it was insurance papers.”

“I lied,” Eileen said.

Eric took a breath. “I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t.” She held up her hand. “Just get what you need and take it to the spare room. And tomorrow, you need to find yourself somewhere else to live.”

“Eileen, please let me explain—”

“Honestly, I think these pictures speak for themselves. I want you to leave.”

“What about the kids?”

“What about them? And don’t you dare throw them in my face after you go and do this!” She pointed to the evidence. “What about the kids here?” She held up one picture then put it down. “Or what about the kids here?” She picked up another. “Were you thinking about the kids in this one? How about here? Or here? Or any of the fucking times you decided to put your dick inside Lauren Andrews? Get out of my bedroom.”

He stood there for several more seconds. Looking at the floor, then to her and the photos, he swallowed. Finally, when he realized there wasn’t anything he could say that erased the pain spread across their bed, he turned and left.

Chapter 30

Eileen

Ten months after Clare’s death

“Go, Paige!” she shouted. “Take it, there you go, there you go…all the way now! That’s it! That’s it!”

Eileen watched her daughter hammer the soccer ball into the corner of the net for her second goal of the day. She sat back in her chair and smiled as Paige raced back up the field, her teammates giving her high fives and side hugs as they repositioned themselves for another kickoff at center field.

“She’s the terminator today,” Eric said next to her.

“I know! That training clinic’s made a huge difference, I think.”

He nodded in agreement before turning his attention back to the game.

It had taken her four months to stop hating him. Six months to have a somewhat normal conversation with him. And nine months to forgive him.

It would take another two months before their divorce would be final. She had overheard that Dave and Lauren were also divorcing, and Eileen couldn’t help herself from imagining that Lauren and Eric were still seeing each other, but she didn’t really want to know. She had almost twice asked her daughter if she knew if her father was seeing anyone.

But she didn’t want to ever put any of her children in that position.