“This is my grandma and grandpa!” Abbie announces without leaving her side as they get closer to the tables where all of the cupcakes are. She switches her attention to her grandparents, proudly informing them, “Caroline’s my friend.”

She hadn’t noticed them when she’d been approaching, having been too wrapped up in her thoughts. But with their looks and the way they seem extremely out of place standing in this park is – it’s easy to see they’re Michael’s parents.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Caroline Parker.” She offers the older couple, setting down her gift. Which Abbie immediately pounces on, tugging aside some of the tissue paper. Caroline arches her eyebrows and sets her hand on top of Abbie’s head. “Nice try, Ab, but it’s in wrapping paper.”

“Francis Dalton.” Abbie’s grandfather pulls her attention back to him. He’s too far away to casually offer a hand, but looks like he doesn’t want to, anyway. “And my wife, Marina.”

Marina, however, does offer a hand. Very tentatively, it seems, as she keeps her other arm cautiously across her body. As Caroline shakes it, she narrows her eyes. “How do you know my granddaughter? You look a little old to be Abbie’s friend.”

Caroline hesitates – it’s not like she has any shame in dunking Michael in his own divorce. And, honestly, she has no shame in stating it to his parents, either. But it’s Abbie’s birthday party and she’s dealt with enough crap in regards to her father without Caroline rubbing anything in. She can’t imagine it would work in her favor at all to the senior Daltons.

It also doesn’t help that all she is thinking about as they look at her is whatever that moment had been with his ex-wife only twelve hours ago.

Abbie, however, doesn’t hesitate. She lugs the gift bag Caroline had brought with her over to the side of the table and says, “She used to work with dad and then she was mom’s lawyer.” She blows out a breath and swipes her hair back from her face in a manner that is entirely Hannah. “And now we’re friends.”

“I guess that about sums it up.” She coughs behind a closed fist, not missing a single note of the displeasure on their faces as they regard her. God, after a night of no sleep and still feeling on edge, she has to get out of here. “Where is your mom?”

She finds Hannah pulling the remainder of the cupcakes out of her car parked at the curb, just where Abbie said she’d be.

Just looking at her gives Caroline the same rush it always does, that immediate hit of warmth. Only this time, it’s accompanied by everything else that she’s been feeling since last night, and she has to clear her throat before she can speak. “Hey.”