Sarah took a sharp intake of breath; she was surprised to hear him speak up.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s obviously not a popular position,” Heather said.

“I just don’t think it’s true.” Matthew’s voice was quiet and direct. “People might go outside their marriage because it’s exciting, but they also do it to keep themselves separate.” He put down his fork. He didn’t drink. “That’s fear. Or, you know, maybe in your case, true love.” He shrugged. “You’ll see, right?”

“How long have you been married?” Heather asked, with no small amount of aggression. “Your daughter is an adult, right? You’ve been together most of your lives?”

“We separated for a couple of years,” Sarah found herself saying. “Recently.”

“You did?” Kiki looked so obviously crestfallen that Sarah wanted to say she was joking.

“Yeah,” said Matthew, “but it was a good thing, our separation. It was good.”

“Really?” Sarah said, before she could stop herself. She felt her face break into a terrible mocking smile.

“Yes. But I don’t really feel the need to dwell on that story right now.” Matthew looked around the table. She didn’t know where his gaze was going to land. She felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up as if the table were on fire, as if Matthew were telling a ghost story around that fire. Then she realized that he was telling a ghost story, and that their story was a ghost story; only the ghost changed with each telling. Sometimes Leda was the ghost but not always.

THE KITCHEN DIDN’T have a dishwasher and the sound of the faucet running was comforting. By the time Heather and Karim disappeared upstairs with the kids and the dishes sat on the drying rack, the larger bowls resting on towels, Kiki had fallen asleep on the couch. Matthew and Sarah stood behind her, watching how she clutched a pillow, how she’d curled herself into a ball.

“Did you tell her the truth?” Sarah whispered.

He didn’t answer immediately, and she didn’t press him.

Finally, he shook his head. “I wanted to.”

Sarah picked up a cream-colored mohair blanket and shook it out before smoothing it carefully over Kiki. Then Sarah followed Matthew upstairs.