“I’m going to take a workshop this weekend,” Tori announced.

His head jerked back when she told him. It was the first time she made a decision without consulting him first. “Oh?” He sounded much more surprised than annoyed.

“Yes.” She brought the crane into the kitchen where he was sitting. “Origami.”

“That Chinese or something?” he asked.

“No.” She stopped herself from saying, “You idiot.” “It’s a Japanese paper-folding art form. Thousands of years old.”

“What? That thing is a thousand years old?”

Cripes, could you be any stupider today? she thought.

“Yes. I got it from an archeological dig.” She sneered.

“Ha. Oh, I get it. A little snarky, are we?”

“Sorry. I made this when I went to the art center. Doing origami is very interesting and relaxing. The woman who owns the shop is having a workshop today, and I signed up for it.” Tory was standing her ground, and she wasn’t about to divulge either of her secrets.

“Well, good for you, I guess. What are you going to do with your newfound talent?”

“Who’s being snarky now?” She put her hands on her hips.

He put up his hands. “I give up. You go and fold your papers. I’m going to shoot pool.”

“Ringo’s?” Tori waited for his reaction.

“No. A new place. It’s an arcade in Chester.”

Chester was a town about eight miles north of where they lived.

“Who are you going with?” Tori again waited for a reaction.

“Jack and a few other guys.”

“Well, OK. Have fun.” The chill was gone from her voice, and she headed out the door.

“You too!” he called after her.

Tori knew she was going to have to confront him soon. She was starting to feel a bit puffy, the way pregnant women look before their bellies start to bulge.

Two major things to discuss was going to take a lot of strength. I’m pregnant, and you’re cheating. How does one start that conversation?

Tori plugged the address to the art center into her GPS. She knew the way but she liked to know if there were any detours and how long it would take to arrive. According to the calculation, she should be pulling into the Stillwell parking lot in forty minutes. There was very little traffic, and she cruised along to the sounds of country music singer Miranda Lambert. Not only was she beautiful but she had a lovely, lilting voice. Tori remembered the humiliation Miranda had suffered when the tabloids were all over the Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani affair. Who knows when it had started, but it was clear Miranda was devastated. Speculation was that he chose being a judge on the show The Voice over his marriage.

Tori took comfort knowing that if someone like Miranda Lambert had marriage problems, anyone could. Plus, if Tori’s personal issues became public, at least they wouldn’t make it to national television.