He kissed her cheek, then nodded at Freddy. “I’ll see you at work tomorrow.”

His friend narrowed his gaze. “You’re going to the office, aren’t you?”

“Just for a couple of hours.”

Freddy rose and walked him out. “You okay, man? You need me to come with you?”

“To watch me work? I’m fine. I just have to figure it out.”

Freddy nodded. “Maybe plastic surgery would help.”

Thaddeus laughed and got in his car. As he drove the short distance to his condo’s parking garage, he told himself maybe it was time to accept the fact that he wasn’t meant to find “the one.” He’d already been married once and that had been a disaster. Maybe he was meant to be the fun uncle, the charming party guy who had a string of interchangeable women. There were worse fates. Think of the time he would save if he stopped looking. Given the choice between alone and disappointment—maybe alone didn’t look so bad.

At 2:57 a.m. Ellen woke from a restless sleep and sat straight up in bed. She didn’t know what she’d been dreaming but whatever it was, it had left her sweaty, with her heart racing. As she stared into the darkness, she was overwhelmed by a sense of dread. Not only did she have to worry about her son resenting her the way she’d resented her parents, but Cooper had been right. She didn’t have a life.

She did the same thing every day. She lived a routine that revolved around her work and her friends and her son. She didn’t date. She, in fact, hadn’t been on a date since she’d found out she was pregnant. Worse, she hadn’t had sex with a man since she’d gotten pregnant.

She flung off the covers and jumped to her feet where she tried to catch her breath.

How had it happened? How had she forgotten to do things like have a life? No wonder her kid was worried about her. She was pathetic, which she could live with, but she was also holding Cooper back, which was unforgiveable. And the worst part? Now that she knew the truth, she was going to have to do something about it.

Ellen never got back to sleep. Sometime around four thirty, she stopped faking it and got up and showered. She tried to distract herself by playing computer games, but her mind was too busy racing for her to focus.

Shortly before six, she wrote a note for Coop, in case he got up before she was back. As it was the first day of summer vacation, she was pretty sure she wouldn’t see him until noon, but if the unexpected happened, she didn’t want him to worry. She swung by Starbucks, got two venti lattes and a couple of breakfast sandwiches, then headed for Unity’s house, three blocks away.

She used her key to let herself in and tiptoed down the hall. When she saw a light on in her friend’s bathroom, she breathed a sigh of relief.