Kate felt her heart sink. All this time, she had been hoping that she was providing a safe haven for Finn from an inhospitable world, a temporary shelter she could retreat to when things got rough. It never occurred to her that Finn would settle into that shelter and make herself at home there. When Finn came back in, Kate had put the Scrabble board away. “I don’t really feel like Scrabble tonight,” she said, concentrating on pouring her tea into the cup. “I think I’m just going to go to bed early and read my book.”

Finn stared at her. “But we always play Scrabble.”

“Sometimes it’s good to do different things, Serafina.” Kate went to the fridge and got out the milk. She didn’t turn around until she knew that Finn was gone. They never played Scrabble again.

It was for her own good. Kate had wanted Finn to leave, it’s true. But she never imagined that she would leave with such finality. She never imagined that she would leave for good.

So, Kate will not call either of them. Nor will she call her husband. She can’t bear to see the disappointment in his eyes, the irritation that he tries to hide, the sadness at what his wife is becoming. Most of all, she can’t bear the knowledge that she is the one causing him this pain. Nor will she call the boy – Shawn (she remembers, and lets herself revel momentarily in the small victory of the remembering) – who would surely drop everything to dash across the border and rescue her as if she were a damsel in distress. Who continued to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders long after he was in a position to put it down and rest. She is glad for the way that things turned out with Shawn – having him in her life was a reminder that she was still capable of taking risks, of reaching for a life less ordinary. Still, she can’t bring him into this. He has done too much for her already, and more than she deserves.