She sat down.
“When I saw them, I knew immediately.”
“You knew?”
She smiled sadly.
“I’m a woman, not an idiot.”
I almost smiled.
Vanessa continued.
“I also need to tell you something.”
“What?”
“Adrian didn’t invite you here just because of me.”
“I figured.”
“He wanted to see the boys.”
I looked at her.
“He was afraid to ask.”
That surprised me.
“Afraid?”
“He thought you would refuse.”
“I might have.”
“I know.”
She paused.
“He has been looking at old photographs.”
“Of me?”
“Of all of you.”
My heart tightened.
“Why?”
“Because he knows he missed everything.”
She stood.
“He saw a photograph of Ethan’s first day of school.”
I frowned.
“How did he get that?”
“I sent it.”
“You?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Vanessa smiled faintly.
“Because I thought he needed to see what he had thrown away.”
Then she walked toward the door.
Before leaving, she stopped.
“For what it’s worth…”
She looked at me.
“I don’t hate you.”
“I never thought you did.”
“I did.”
She smiled sadly.
“Until I met you.”
Then she left.
Page 7
I couldn’t sleep.
Around midnight, I went outside.
Snow was falling softly.
The estate was silent.
I found Adrian sitting alone on the stone steps.
He looked up.
“Can’t sleep?”
“No.”
“Me neither.”
I sat several feet away.
For a while, we said nothing.
Then he spoke.
“I remember the day you told me.”
I looked at him.
“You remember?”
“Every word.”
“Then why did you call me a liar?”
He looked down.
“My father.”
“What?”
“He told me something.”
I waited.
“He said the pregnancy couldn’t be mine.”
“Why?”
“Because of the dates.”
I shook my head.
“The dates were wrong because the doctors had originally calculated the pregnancy incorrectly.”
Adrian nodded.
“I know.”
“So you believed your father over your wife?”
“I was deployed. I was under pressure. I was angry.”
“Those are explanations.”
He looked at me.
“I know.”
“They aren’t excuses.”
“I know.”
His voice broke slightly.
“I was young.”
“So was I.”
“I thought you were trying to trap me.”
I stared at him.
“Why would I need to trap you?”
“I don’t know.”
“Exactly.”
He rubbed his hands together.
“I spent eight years telling myself I made the right decision.”
“And now?”
“Now I know I didn’t.”
He looked toward the house.
“I watched those boys tonight.”
