The heat from his body leaves as he moves off the bed, fumbling with his suitcase and keeping his back turned toward me.

“Is everything okay?” I ask.

“It’s peachy, Emma.” The coldness in his voice is still prevalent as he opens the bedroom door and closes it loudly behind him. I’m left staring at the wood, wondering where I went wrong.

* * *

I watch Henry pick up his nephew by the arms, the early afternoon sun beaming down on them. He swings the young boy around, high-pitched squeals escaping the little one’s mouth. Henry’s grinning too, careful to avoid the area being set up for the party. He never lifts the boy too high, keeping a cautious eye on him as he raises him in the air.

“Do you want children?” Anne asks. I draw my eyes away from the scene. It’s a deeply personal question, one I’ve become accustomed to answering. Women face more scrutiny than men when it comes to our future choices, and the older I get, the more interested outsiders are about my personal life. Am I married? Do I have children? Do I want children? Why? Why not?

I understand the curiosity behind her asking. She assumes I’m in an actual relationship with her son. A deeply committed relationship where we’ve probably started talking about a potential next steps. When you reach your 30s, you don’t date someone for fun. There’s no more fucking around for a few months and parting ways. You date them because you see yourself being with them forever, a long-term partnership filled with love and future plans that include swing sets and house buying.

“I do, I think. If not with a partner, I’d love to adopt. I have no problem being a single parent.” I’ve always loved children, and I’m a firm believer in the idea of not needing a man to have one. “There are so many kids out there who need a loving home.”

I’ve seen firsthand how many young people in our country suffer from a broken family and get tossed around, forgotten in a system designed to hurt them.

“That’s a wonderful thing to hear. I get sad with the state of the world sometimes. Well, frankly, a lot of the time these days. It makes me hopeful to know I raised three children who go out and do good every day, and will pass that on to their children if they feel inclined to have them. I hope if they do, they’ll continue to visit and see our home as a safe haven for them. And if children aren’t in the cards for them, that’s okay, too.”

“That’s a wonderful sentiment.”

“I’m so glad you came, Emma. It’s obvious you mean a lot to Henry. Enough for him to bring you home and risk us all interrogating you,” she chuckles.