She placed a hand on her belly. She didn’t know how to tell him he was going to be a father again. Not that he was a terrible father. He had done all the father-son things over the years. Baseball, camping, fishing. But her son showed much more sensitivity than his father ever had. Brendon refused to go hunting, which sparked his father’s ire.

No, Brendon was kind. Compassionate. Plus, he had a goal. She supposed he was making up for her failings in having a plan. He wanted to join the military. Army Cyber. He had been playing video games since he was nine. He had a knack for it. Now he was eighteen, the same age she had been when she ran away. But the military would be good for him. He would have a career, and with some luck, he wouldn’t be in harm’s way. She couldn’t blame him either. Hadn’t she run from a miserable upbringing? The only difference was that she had a bond with her child. Her mother had not.

But the idea of another child with him meant she would be tied to him for another eighteen years. That thought gave her pause. It’s not as if she had seriously considered divorce. She rarely considered anything when it came to her own interests and needs. Thank goodness for George Layton. Even though he had helped steer her away from her job, it was in a better direction than the course she had been on. But now there was a big issue to consider.

For years, it had never occurred to her that her husband was controlling. After all, she never took control of her own life. But now she realized that her lack of control was the core of her problem. She simply went about her life as she always had, letting things happen to her instead of making them happen for her. She had not been fully aware of his passive-aggressive behavior until now.

In the beginning, he had insisted she dye her hair blond. She would be his own personal Barbie doll. He told her he was very disappointed in her when she chopped it off à la Jamie Lee Curtis. She told him it was easier for her with the baby and all. He sulked for days. That also reminded her of all the comments he made when she was pregnant. Once, when they were at a party, he kept remarking about another pregnant woman and how great she looked compared to Tori. He said she looked fat and bloated. It only fueled her insecurity further.