Jack was in the doorway. I don’t know how long he’d been there, but all of a sudden there he was, with a look on his face I couldn’t begin to decipher and could barely even see through the tears streaming from my eyes.

I wanted to shake him, to punch him and kick him and yank him back to life. Yet I felt rooted to the floor, unable to move, so I yelled instead. I’d never yelled at Jack, never raised my voice.

“You’re killing me!” The words flowed, unchecked. “You’ve already left and you’re not even dead! I can’t do this anymore. I can’t take this anymore. If you want to die then do it, but don’t take us down with you!

Silence. Not even Bree was crying anymore. The sting of the words I’d shouted still hung between us, and for the first time in months, Jack seemed to be looking at me and actually seeing me. The weight of the words I’d chosen overwhelmed me, and I buried my face in my hands, utterly ashamed that I could be so cruel.

Without warning his arms were around me, pulling me to him, his face in my hair as he cried his apologies. Then, for the first time in two months, he kissed me.

JACK

THE FOLLOWING EVENING we invited Todd and Zoe over for dinner. I was sick with nerves when they arrived, dreading the likely “Its about time you called” comments and trying to keep the conversation light until after the meal was over.

The kids were asleep in the living room when we broke the news. Todd, of course, knew about Dianne, but Zoe did not, and I explained the whole sordid mess to try to fill the shocked silence that ensued.

Zoe spoke first. “April? You found out in April and you’re only telling us now?”

I shrugged. “How do you tell someone that, really? I’m sorry, honestly, but I could barely bring myself to admit it, much less let anyone else know.”

More silence as the news was digested, then Zoe’s hand flew to her mouth as she murmured, “Oh, Grace, what about you?”

“Clear so far,” she said, trying to smile. “And Bree, but”—she looked at her hands—“no guarantees.”

Todd stood and walked to me, and with his face an inch from mine said, “I could kill you for not telling us sooner.” He stared me down, and I saw tears in his eyes, something I never would have expected from him. He shook his head in silence and threw his arms around me. Zoe sprang from her seat and sat down beside Grace, both of them bursting into tears.