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“And where’s your wife now?”
“Well...” Luke paused, steadying his breath. “She passed a little over two years ago. It was cancer. She always wanted to live on the Georgia coast. That’s one of the reasons we moved down here.”
Emma’s eyes softened. “Luke, I’m so sorry.”
At that moment, a teenage boy bearing a striking resemblance to Luke descended the stairs.
Emma turned to him and smiled. “Hey, I’m Emma.”
Her greeting was ignored as the boy fixed an icy stare at Luke. He spun on his heels and stormed upstairs. The unmistakable sound of a door slamming echoed back to her.
“Excuse me. I’ll be right back.” Luke took on a serious tone and walked up the steps.
Emma nodded and took a seat in an armchair, glancing toward the staircase where Luke had disappeared. She tried to make sense of the muffled voices filtering down. The words were indistinct, but the tone was unmistakable: frustration, hurt, anger.
Luke’s trying, she thought, clasping her hands in her lap. That’s all any parent can do, right? Try, fail, apologize, and try again. She felt a strange ache for both of them, a knot of empathy and sadness.
Suddenly, a clear voice cut through the muffled argument: “...another woman home. Have you forgotten about her completely?”
“Of course I haven’t! And lower your voice. Come down here and meet—“
“No! You think some stranger can just waltz in and take her place? She was better than you...I wish it was you who died.”
The door upstairs slammed with a force that reverberated throughout the house, shaking the windowpanes. Time to go. Emma looked at Riley, who had trotted back in after finishing his treats, and sat next to her. He seemed as unsettled as she felt, as if sensing that the moment for a graceful exit had arrived.
Luke reappeared, his face taut but controlled. “I’m sorry you had to hear that.”
“Oh, it’s alright,” Emma said. “I was just leaving anyway. I have to get home.”
“I’ll walk you out.” Luke followed her to her car.
Emma whistled softly to Riley. His ears perked, then he dashed over. She guided him to the backseat, then turned toward Luke. “He didn’t mean it, you know.”
Luke shifted his gaze to the ground. “I wish I could believe that.”
“Being a substitute teacher at the high school, I see teens act out all the time. It’s often just misplaced emotion.”
Letting out a heavy sigh, Luke ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m struggling, Emma. I’ve tried every expert tip I could find, read books, consulted therapists. I still go to therapy, but Jeremiah refuses to join me. We moved here thinking it would be a new beginning. Now I’m wondering if it was just a huge mistake...” His eyes drifted to some distant point. “Sorry if that was too much.”
“It’s not too much, Luke. And don’t be so hard on yourself.” Emma reached over, placing her hand on his arm. “I think the best thing you can do right now is to be patient with him. He’ll come around.”
“I hope so. It’s nice to hear there’s light at the end of the tunnel.”
“There usually is,” Emma said, opening the driver’s-side door. “Thanks again for looking out for my sweet boy. I’ll see you around.”
“Anytime. See you later.”
Emma climbed into her car and pulled away from the home she once knew so well. She caught a last glimpse of him in her rearview as he went inside. A bittersweet blend of sadness and relief tugged at her heart. Although she missed that house, she found comfort in knowing someone like Luke had moved into it—someone she believed would take good care of it. After all, he had cared for Riley when he didn’t have to.
As she drove through the winding roads that led her back to her own life, her thoughts were a swirl of past and future, of what-ifs and maybes.
I wonder when I’ll run into him again.
The thought stirred a sense of guilt within her, although Chad was the one who had betrayed their vows. She reminded herself that it was perfectly acceptable to entertain such musings now that she was divorced. And so, with a tender smile, she dismissed it as nothing more than a gentle crush.
After pulling into her driveway, she took a deep, steadying breath, releasing the accumulated tension of the day. She shifted into park and turned toward her beloved companion, their eyes meeting in a moment of silent understanding. “Riley, you gave your momma a big scare. I’m never letting you out of my sight again. We’re getting your tags on before you get a snack. And you’re getting chipped next week.”
He tilted his head, as if contemplating her words, then let out a bark.
