She hadn't even been angry. Almost as if she'd always expected it to happen, eventually. As if she'd known he couldn't keep his dick in his pants longer than it took to zip them up.

The onus was entirely on him. She'd never been jealous. Wasn't needy. She hadn't pushed to move in together or get serious. He simply lacked the gene for monogamy. Relationships would last a few months, maybe a year before his attention would start to wander.

Sheila said he suffered from abandonment issues during their last argument, the one that finally broke them. That he might harbor some hidden trauma causing him to substitute sex for love.

Maybe that was true. Whatever his problem was, he'd sure fucked things up royally with Sheila. At times he could convince himself it had been for the best. But even though she'd forgiven him—or maybe because she'd gotten over it so eagerly—the way they'd left things was always something that bothered him.

Fuck the pain away. That's what she said, wasn't it? And when the going gets tough, Smartypants Marty gets going. I run away, just like I always have.

Escaped from Barrows Bay. Escaped Stratford and left poor Norma to look after Ruby all on her own. Send money at Christmas, but never write back when Norma sends her letters.

And when the boogieman comes chasing after me, what do I do? Run again, right back home to Mommy. Home again, home again, jiggety-jig.

Killer? Nah, not this guy. Fucking coward, that's what I am.

Fucking coward with a trail of blood behind me.

He smelled the pie baking the moment he stepped into the gingerbread house, slipping off his coat and shoes. Tangy, sweet, flaky and buttery.

"I'm home!" he called out.

He meant it to be ironic but it suddenly struck him that it had never felt so true. Likely just the smell of home baking and the memories of the house making him nostalgic. He suddenly wanted to slide down the carpeted stairs on his butt like he did when he was small. Thump thump thump all the way down to the bottom.

"'Bout darn time," Norma said. She and Sheila were in the kitchen, sitting at the table.

"The pie smells amazing." He kissed the soft white hair on Norma's crown. "Where's Ma?"

"I drew her a bath. Sheila here's been filling me in on your exploits with the ladies in the meantime." She gave him a disapproving glower. "Sounds like we're gonna have to spike your morning coffee with saltpeter."

Sheila laughed. "Looks like you had fun with Barrows Bay's answer to Annie Wilkes." She nodded toward his groin. He saw the tail of his shirt peeking out of his zipper. Made a quick adjustment before zipping up.

"We caught up over a coffee and I used the little boy's room. Guess I forgot to zip up."

Aunt Norma clucked her tongue. "Mm-hmm, I'll bet. Same old Marty. Ladykiller in his teens, too. I tried to teach him respect for women, but it was like trying to teach a rich kid the value of money."