“Vivienne and Allison wanted you to sing the French song to them,” she says, and I smile. “‘Au Clair de la lune.’” She mentions the song I used to sing to them when they were babies, and my face fills with a smile.

“Aww, do they miss their ma tata?” I use the French word for aunt.

“They do,” she tells me, and I hear the water turn on in the background.

“Why don’t I come over tomorrow and spend a couple of days with the rug rats?” I tell her. I think this is what I need—some space from the city and from Markos.

“They would love that,” she says. “Me, too.”

“Good. Arrange for movie night and I’ll take them to get their nails done and buy the boys some dirt or something.” Karrie and I laugh at the same time.

“Matthew is going in tomorrow, so he can pick you up on his way home.”

“That sounds like a plan. I’m headed to bed, and I have a couple of things to get off to my editor tomorrow. So I’ll text him when I get up and plan it with him,” I tell her and hang up with kisses. I go into the bathroom and look at myself, debating whether to take a shower. Then I look down at his shirt I’m wearing, wondering when the last time he wore this was. I untie the knot in it and walk to the bed, turning off all the lights and slipping into bed.

I look out the window because I forgot to close the shade, and I’m too lazy to get up and close them, and then my phone beeps, and I grab it. It’s from Mark, and it’s a picture of the fishbowl.

Markos: I’ve fed him, and he’s still alive.

I laugh and reply right away.

Me: He’s a she.

Markos: You can’t just assume it’s a girl.

Me: I can assume that just like you can assume sending me a pet was a good idea.

Markos: I will never do that again. Good night.

Me: Bonne Nuit.

I turn and smile, thinking of him, and then slowly my eyes get heavy as I play that night over and over.

Chapter Fourteen

Mark

“You need to stick to the corners better,” Pierre tells me, coming over to me while I drink some water. “Your skate has to touch the bar, or it will give even that little space, and if you move, it’s enough for a puck to go in.”