“She got a tip-off she’d won the award ’bout a week before. She was real proud readers had voted for her. But then she found out the date of the event was November the first. Her debut novel had been published that day, twenty years earlier. Ess was supposed to hold a big old party to celebrate back then, but something went wrong and it didn’t happen. She was wary the Constellations were being held on the same date.” He shrugged a shoulder. “We were struggling with some personal stuff in our lives and drinking more than we should. It made Ess paranoid about that kind of thing. I told her it was a chance to change the meaning of the date, and encouraged her to go.”

“I saw footage and photos from the ceremony. You look so proud.”

“Heck, I sure was. We both hit the champagne real hard and had a great time.” He grinned. Then his smile slid away. He gulped his whiskey and glanced at Liv. “Everyone wanted a piece of her, especially the press. They wanted a piece of me even more.”

Liv saw Hank’s hand shake as he put down his glass. “Journalists?” she said, remembering Chloe’s speculation that Hank had paid one off.

“You work with Ess. You’re close to her, right?” he said, as if asking her permission to say more.

Liv didn’t nod or say anything. She wanted him to speak freely of his own accord.

He ran his hand through his hair. “Some hack got Ess’s ear. Told her I cheated on her.” He let out the saddest sigh. “It was the worst.”

Liv’s stomach rolled. Had she found Essie’s greatest love, but he’d stamped on her heart? “And did you cheat?” she said.

“I wouldn’t call it that.” Eyes glistening, Hank looked up at the ceiling and cleared his throat. “One night, me and Ess had been drinking again. We rowed, y’know? It happened sometimes. I went out and drank some more in a bar. I ended up going home with some girl. Had so much whiskey I don’t even remember it. Except she...” He chewed his bottom lip.

“She got pregnant?” Liv added quietly. She thought about the photo of Hank and his family at the baseball match. “I read a quote that said Essie hoped to have children one day.”

Hank didn’t look up. “We tried for years and nothing worked. Drinking helped to numb the pain.”

Liv pursed her lips. “How old is your son?” she said.

Hank’s eyes flickered. “Did Ess tell you anything? She said she’d never—”

“No, not Essie,” Liv said, realizing she’d stumbled upon something Hank had been hiding from the world. “I worked out some dates.”