“It had to be quite a shock for her,” Vickie said, stating the obvious. “She’s a hormonal thirteen-year-old who just watched her dad marry another woman. She’s going to have a baby brother. Now she sees her mom... Of course she acted out.” Vickie paused. “Don’t take her words to heart—hell hath no fury like a teenager who just discovered life isn’t always going to go their way.”

“It was my job to help her navigate that lesson without her finding me naked with a man in my room.” She was still turning the coffee mug with her free hand, back and forth. Back and forth. Stuck in the same pattern, over and over.

“Yes, it was,” Vickie replied. “But life is like that—we often end up learning our lessons the hard way. She’s a smart kid. She’ll come around to see things more clearly once she stops having her temper tantrum.”

“She walked in on us naked. And...we were...clowning around. Laughing. Mike was dancing...” The image made her cringe. “Thank God he had his shorts in his hand, so he could cover up a bit. You can’t imagine how bad it was.”

“I don’t think I want to.” Vickie chuckled softly. “But I’m assuming he didn’t have you tied to the bed or anything?”

“Of course not.” Although he had playfully threatened to do that someday.

“And he wasn’t spanking you? No cat-o’-nine-tails in his hand?”

“A whip? No! We were just laughing. While naked.”

Vickie was silent for a moment. “Naked laughter is some of the best laughter.” Vickie coughed softly, and Zoey wondered if her godmother and her new beau, Gordy Lexiter, had shared naked laughter together.

“She walked in on us, Vickie.”

“She walked in on two adults having fun. I know you didn’t want your daughter seeing you like that, but you weren’t doing anything wrong. You could even think of yourself as role modeling a healthy relationship.”

For the first time in hours, Zoey smiled. “I know you’re trying to make me feel better, and I appreciate it, but...no. It’s such a mess. I miss my mom.” Those last words surprised her, coming straight from her brain to her lips. Tears pooled in her eyes. “I miss having a mom, Vickie. I got cheated out of that, and now I’m just flailing around with no clue what I’m doing. And I miss Dad, too.” It made her even more sad to realize that hole would always be there. Both her parents were gone. She took a breath and tried to stop the crying jag she felt coming on. “Did Maura say how Mike was?” She’d basically thrown him out of the house.