Thad couldn’t help it if he liked men. But he didn’t have to marry me. He didn’t have to sweep me up into a fantasy of being starving(ish) writers together and living this romantic footloose and fancy-free, child-free life together.

“Liabelle, where are you staying?” Parker asked when we were almost to the apartment building that I had called home for so many years. “Do you want to stay with me?”

For a moment, it seemed like a tempting offer, but I waved it away. “Remember Philip who works for Clematis?” I couldn’t control the jealous pang that shot through me that he was still there and I was gone.

Parker nodded. “Oh, sure. I know Philip. Cool guy. Sheree is great too. I’ve seen them out and about.”

As we pulled into the parking lot, Parker put the car in park, looked over at me, and said, “Are you sure about this?”

I nodded resolutely.

Thad was standing in the doorway. He grabbed my hand, and I pulled it away. “Don’t!” I hissed, realizing how visceral my anger was.

“This way,” I said to Parker, as Thad trailed behind saying, “Amelia, I made a huge mistake. It was just an experiment.”

“Experiments are for college, Thad. Not your midthirties,” I said calmly as I emptied my drawers into my duffel bag. Parker emerged from my closet with a huge armful of clothes, and I couldn’t help myself. “Oh my God. Every man in my life is coming out of the closet these days.”

Parker laughed, not even nervously, as he left the room.

“But that’s just it,” Thad said. “It isn’t about that. It’s all about love. And I love you, Amelia. I really do.”

I stopped then and looked at him. “Thad, you have known me for six years. Does this seem like something that I am going to be okay with? Do you think the Amelia Saxton that you know is going to say, ‘Oh, Thad, I forgive your long and torrid love affair with the only man who has ever given me proper highlights?’ ” I slammed the drawer I was holding down on the bed.

Thad walked up to me and said soothingly, “People make mistakes. I made a mistake. Please give me another chance at our life.”

I wondered briefly if I was being hasty. I put my finger up and ran down the steps to the car, where Parker was deeply entrenched in a pile of hanging clothes.

“If I caught him with another woman, would I give him another chance?” I asked.

“Oh, um,” Parker said, “I’m not really—”

“I mean, am I being biased and judgmental in some way here?”

“Well, I—”

“No,” I decided, picturing a woman in her underwear on my couch. “No. I would be done either way. Hell, I’d be more done, if that’s possible.”

“So this is really more of a rhetorical line of questioning?” Parker said, pulling his head out of the car.

“Sorry,” I said. “I just want to make sure that I’m doing the right thing. Can you imagine that he wants me back? Of all the absurd things.”