“You have everything on autopay. Your car, phone, and credit card payments are all taken care of. Stepping in for you was easy.”

“Well, thank you for thinking of it. I’m sure Jax didn’t since our finances seem to be separate now. I’m sure you’re sick of this woe-is-me attitude—”

“No.” Amanda stepped up to Gretchen and put her hands on her shoulders. “You have a lot to process, and I’m here to listen and help. If you need to talk about the same things over and over, go for it.”

Gretchen stepped into Amanda, just needing the comfort of a hug. “It’s so bizarre, and I don’t understand any of it. But what I do know is I need to go shopping, and today is the perfect day for it.” Gretchen stepped back and tapped the checkbook against her palm. “I deserve it.”

“Then I say we pick up Caleb along the way and make an afternoon out of it.”

“Let’s do it.”

After three hours of mall hopping and stopping for treats to keep Caleb happy, Gretchen returned home with bags of clothing and a bright smile. She felt really good for the first time in weeks. She declined Amanda’s help getting everything into the house. What was the point to having a kid if you couldn’t put him to work? Caleb carried her purse and the lightest of the five bags.

“Where the hell were you?” Jax said, jumping off the couch the moment they walked through the door. Caleb froze and looked panicked. “Give me those.” Jax took everything from Caleb and ushered him to the kitchen.

Gretchen was only a few steps behind, already annoyed at the fight she was in no mood for. “We went to two malls. I needed clothes. We had a great afternoon together—didn’t we, Caleb?”

Caleb reached into a bag and pulled out a pair of socks with Spider-Man on them. “I got this.” He waved them back and forth to make sure Jax saw them.

“That’s great, Cricket. Why don’t you go put them with your other socks so they don’t get lost.” Jax’s eyes never left Gretchen. Caleb scampered off. “What the hell were you thinking?”

Gretchen was clueless. “Excuse me?”

“I get home to an empty house—no Amanda, no Caleb, and no Gretchen. You have amnesia, you don’t remember shit, and you’re just gone. You should have told me where you went.”

“I was with Amanda. You could have called or messaged either of us.”

“I did message Amanda. That’s the only reason I didn’t call the cops.”

“Oh.” She had no idea. “Well, you knew where I was. And what does it matter? You’re not my keeper.”

“That is literally what I am while I’m living here.”

“Then don’t.” The hair on the back of Gretchen’s neck stood on end. The surge of adrenaline from anxiety and anger was sickening. “I meant it when I told you to go if you don’t want any part of this. You don’t owe me anything, and I’m sure Meredith misses you.” Gretchen didn’t have the energy for another case of emotional whiplash. Every time she was starting to feel good, another incident with Jax would pull her right back into the depths of being unwell. “Amanda won’t mind staying until I get clearance from Dr. Melendez to be on my own. She’ll bring me for my checkup, and you won’t have to worry about anything else but Caleb. No other responsibilities, free and clear, which is exactly what you wanted.”