Madison
Morning light streamed through the blinds, sharp and insistent, and I felt heavier instead of lighter. It was easier to blame it on lack of sleep than on the memory of Seth standing across from me the night before, sleeves rolled up, telling me I deserved a break like it was the simplest truth in the world.
A knock came at the door just as I set a pot of coffee to brew. Olive’s voice carried through the screen, high and excited. “Mommy! I’m home!”
I rushed to the door just in time for her to fling herself at my legs, Bunny in hand, hair wild from what was clearly a night of fun. Blair followed, holding Olive’s overnight bag and smiling like she’d been expecting this reunion scene all along.
“She had a blast,” Blair said, setting the bag by the couch. “Cookies, movies, way too much sugar. Greyson made her the champion of blanket forts.”
Olive beamed up at me. “And Aunt Blair said I could come back soon!”
I kissed the top of her head, heart swelling with relief. “Sounds like you had the best time.”
When Olive darted off for her crayons, Blair turned back to me, her smile softening. “And you? How are you holding up?”
I hesitated. My instinct was to brush it off, to say I was fine, to redirect the spotlight. But Blair’s eyes had that steady weight to them, the kind that made lying pointless. “I don’t know,” I admitted. “Last night… Seth cooked dinner.”
Her lips twitched like she was holding back a grin. “Did he now?”
“Don’t start,” I warned, pouring coffee into two mugs and sliding one across the counter to her. “It was just a gesture. He was being polite.”
Blair took a slow sip, never looking away from me. “Seth doesn’t do things just to be polite. You know that.”
I bristled. “Then why? Why go out of his way when we both know this is temporary?”
“Because underneath that grumpy exterior, he’s a good man,” Blair said simply. “He acts like he doesn’t care, but he does. He always has. He just… doesn’t know how to show it sometimes.”
Her words sat heavy in me, unsettling and comforting all at once.
When she left, Olive was already busy with her drawings. I stood at the window staring across the lawn at the main house. For the first time, I wondered if I was the one refusing to see what was right in front of me.
But later, lying awake while Olive napped, I couldn’t quiet the fear gnawing at me. Seth might be a good man. He might be steady and kind in ways I hadn’t expected. But people I cared about always left.
And I couldn’t let myself believe that this time would be any different.
Chapter 28
Seth
Saturday mornings usually meant catching up on paperwork or tinkering with small projects around the house. Quiet, predictable things I could control. But this morning was different.
Madison had mentioned the state fair in passing when Blair picked Olive up, her tone wistful, like she hadn’t really expected to go. Olive, of course, latched onto the word fair with all theenthusiasm only a four-year-old could muster. Cotton candy, rides, balloons, her eyes had gone wide just imagining it.
And somehow, before I’d thought it through, I’d offered to take them.
Now, walking through the fairgrounds with Olive perched on my shoulders, sticky fingers tangled in my hair, I wondered what the hell I’d gotten myself into.
The air was thick with the smell of fried dough and popcorn, music spilling from the carousel, voices overlapping in a constant hum. Madison walked beside me, sunglasses perched on her nose, her hand occasionally brushing against mine as the crowd pressed in. She looked different out here, lighter, looser. Her laugh came easier, and I caught myself watching her more than I should’ve.
Olive squealed and pointed toward the Ferris wheel. “That one! I wanna go up there!”
I shifted her carefully down into my arms. “You sure? It’s pretty high.”
“I’m brave,” she declared, chin lifted.
Madison laughed, brushing a curl from Olive’s forehead. “She gets that from me.”
I caught Madison’s eyes for a second too long, something unspoken passing between us. Then, Olive tugged at my hand, pulling me toward the ride.
