She nodded. “I did. Then I drove her here, to Colorado, right after they legalized marijuana. It helped her a lot.” Rory’s lips turned into a sad smile as she averted her gaze. “It helped me a lot. It made dealing with my reality a little less stressful, dealing with the possibility of losing Rose a little less painful. Then one day Rose decided to grow her own, in the very illegal state of Nebraska, but she didn’t have a great place to do it. So I suggested we use the back room of my salon. No one besides me ever went back there. For years all that had been back there were some old chairs, cracked sinks, and expired products. A few tables and grow lamps and we were growing our own marijuana. No more tiring trips to Colorado. No more paying for something we grew on our own for pennies.”

She chuckled, running a hand through her wet hair. “It was stupid. Most things people do in the name of love are stupid. I never thought about getting caught. I was too busy worrying about Rose. Besides … who would ever think to look in the back of my salon? I was a mom with a child and husband. We went to church every weekend, never cheated on our taxes. I hadn’t ever received as much as a parking ticket in my life.”

“Dad said it was a break-in.”

Rory nodded. “Yes, in the middle of the night, someone broke into my salon. The security alarms went off and whoever broke in didn’t stick around. But the cops came and that’s how my world shattered. I lost your dad. My freedom. Five years with you. And according to her doctors, it was unlikely Rose would make it to see me get out of prison. But she did. She made a full recovery.”

“And Dad? How did he find out about the two of you?”

“We talked before the trial. He didn’t understand why I would grow marijuana for a friend, a friend I’d met through my salon. Why would I risk so much? And he kept digging and digging until I cracked. I told him I did it because I was in love with Rose.”

“You loved her more than you loved me.”

Rory shook her head over and over. “No. I have never nor will I ever love anyone the way I love you.”

“Yet, you chose to do something that took you away from me.”

Her head continued to shake as she squeezed her eyes shut. “I … I wasn’t for one minute thinking I would get caught. I wasn’t thinking that someone would break into my shop and therefore bring the police right to me.”

“Well it happened. So do you regret it?”

Rory hesitated. That was my answer.

“I’ll sleep at the airport.” I stomped past her.