She practically ran from the room, leaving Liam staring after her in confusion. The girls watched too, their small faces mirroring his concern.
“Is Sunny sick?” Hailey asked, her lower lip trembling.
“I think she’s just tired, sweetie,” Liam reassured her, though doubt gnawed at him.
Bedtime presented yet another challenge. Both girls were clingy and anxious, needing extra stories and reassurances before they could settle down.
“Will Sunny be okay?” Maddie whispered as Liam tucked the comforter around her shoulders.
“Of course she will,” he replied, though uncertainty clouded his own thoughts. “Why do you ask?”
Maddie’s eyes, so reminiscent of Kate’s, looked up at him solemnly. “She was crying in the bathroom before you came home. I heard her.”
The revelation hit Liam like a punch to the gut. Sunny had been crying alone, hiding her distress from him and the girls.
“I’ll talk to her,” he promised, kissing Maddie’s forehead. “Now, get some sleep, okay?”
After both girls finally drifted off, Liam set out to find Sunny. The house felt unnaturally quiet, the tick of the grandfather clock in the hallway marking time with a relentless rhythm. He checked the kitchen, the den, and the living room — each room empty.
Finally, he climbed the stairs to her bedroom, hesitating before knocking softly on the door. When no answer came, he knocked again, a bit louder this time.
“Sunny? Can we talk?”
Silence, then a shuffle of movement from within. The door opened to reveal Sunny, her eyes red-rimmed despite her obvious attempts to conceal it. Behind her, Liam caught a glimpse of an open duffle bag on the bed, clothes strewn beside it.
“What are you doing?” he asked, a cold dread settling in his stomach.
Sunny stepped back, allowing him to enter. The normally tidy room was in disarray, drawers half-open, personal items gathered in small piles. On the nightstand, he noticed a small pharmacy bag partially tucked under a sweater.
“I think it’s best if I leave for a while,” she said quietly, avoiding his gaze. “Just until things calm down.”
The words hit him hard. “Leave? Sunny, you can’t be serious.”
“I’ve been thinking about it all day,” she continued, her voice strained. “The press won’t stop as long as I’m here. The girls are being affected at school. Your career is at risk.”
“So you’re just going to run away?” Liam couldn’t hide the hurt in his voice. “After everything?”
Sunny finally met his gaze, and the raw emotion in her eyes piercing him. “I’m trying to do what’s right for everyone.”
“What about what’s right for us?” he countered, stepping closer. “What about the girls? They need you.”
“They need stability,” she whispered. “Not… this chaos. Not having their father’s face splashed across tabloids because of me.”
“This isn’t your fault,” Liam insisted. “Leaving won’t solve anything. It will only confirm what those vultures are saying — that what we had was tawdry, something to be ashamed of.”
Sunny’s hand drifted unconsciously to her stomach again. “It’s not that simple, Liam.”
“Then explain it to me,” he pressed, frustration mounting.
She turned away, busying herself with folding a shirt that didn’t need folding. “I’m just overwhelmed. I need space to think.”
Liam reached for her arm, gently turning her to face him. “Sunny, please. Whatever it is, we can face it together. Like we’ve faced everything else.”
For a moment, he thought she might break, might finally share the burden she was carrying. Her lips parted, her eyes filling with tears as she looked up at him. But then, like a door slamming shut, her expression closed off.
“I’m sorry, Liam. I’ve made up my mind.”
The finality in her tone left him reeling. He stared at her, this woman who had brought light back into his darkened world, who had loved his children with such genuine care, who had made him believe in second chances. Now she was slipping away, and he couldn’t understand why.
