“Yes. As in, not having a clue. Being conveniently surprised. Maybe I should say purposefully clueless. I should probably stop talking but—what the hell—I’m not going to.” He took another swig of beer. “I wasn’t on any film set.”

“Okay.” She envisioned the nodding and listening faces of her support group.

“Okay?”

“Arman.”

“What?”

Out with it is what she wanted to say, but she was trying to be—or at least trying to appear—patient. “Okay,” she said instead.

“You don’t want to know why I lied?”

She looked at him and felt such a surge of affection that she thought, I should get up. I should get up and move away. “Of course I want to know.”

“I’m being stupid,” he muttered. “I’ll tell you later.”

“Suit yourself,” she said lightly, trying to keep true disappointment out of her voice. Was he cheating on Kiki? If she thought this, why was she acting so nice to him?

“Maybe when the sun is out. Maybe when I’ve had some sleep.” He continued to drink his beer; they both looked out toward the creek.

“You can though,” she said. “Tell me, I mean.”

He continued to nod and suddenly it seemed as if he might cry.

“You can tell me whatever it is.”

“Sarah.” He shook his head. “My neighbor! I’m happy to see you.”

“I’m happy to see you, too. Let’s go inside.”

“Nah, I’m staying up.” He glanced at his phone. “The baby will be awake soon.”

“She’s perfect, by the way.” Sarah glanced at the sky, still dark. “Just beautiful.”

“I know.” He smiled. “I can’t believe it.”

Sarah’s smile turned into a yawn. “I’m sorry—” She yawned again. “I couldn’t sleep earlier, but now”—she turned toward the house—“I’m just so tired.”

“Wait—how’s Leda?”

“Leda?” she asked, strangely breezy.

“Yeah, Leda.”

She shook her head.

“Well, she’s young,” he said. “Right? She’s young.”

Sarah gripped the door handle, turning it, but still not going inside.

She pictured the back of Leda’s head, the way her hair went from straight to curly in only one fist-size patch at the back the first time she stopped using. After Leda was released from the gorgeous and expensive rehab facility, they’d lived together for two months in a nearby one-bedroom rental. Matthew came and went, depending on his travel schedule. Sarah and Leda went hiking every morning at the crack of dawn, ate the same salad with blue cheese and pears at the same café for lunch. They went to a hair salon in Scottsdale and asked for chin-length haircuts. They’d laughed their way through an afternoon, through a harmless impulsive decision.

Leda said, The last couple years have been horrible, haven’t they?

Leda said, I have put you through hell.