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“You’re going to need them,” Nick said. He handed them back.

I put them on, and Sparrow threw both arms up for another round.

Chapter 15

❧

— Wren —

Sparrow slept six hours straight. Six. She hadn’t managed four since she was born. I woke at ten past five to a silent room and went straight to her crib. I rested my hand on her back until I felt it rise.

Once I could breathe again, I thought, Tell Seb.

I picked up my phone and typed She slept six hours. I could have sent it. Instead, my fingers went to the old game we used to play, turning a message into its first letters and making the other person work it out.

I sent SSSH.

He’d know what it meant. He’d know I’d reached for our old game, too. I put my phone on the kitchen counter and made coffee. His reply came while it brewed.

TIENOTBGVL.

This is either news or the bar’s got very low.

I laughed so loudly I checked I hadn’t woken Sparrow. I’d missed Seb making me laugh before I’d even had coffee. I read his message again while I drank it.

When Sparrow kept me up half the night, I sent NSAIA. Nobody slept and I’m angry. Seb answered with a photo of a screen full of code and TIWIDINSTEADOFSLEEPING underneath.

Things I wish I did instead of sleeping

The message was so long it defeated the point of the game. But it still made me grin.

Another day, I came home with Sparrow and found SHTBAAAFTFT waiting on my phone. I knew it was about her holding her bottle, but I couldn’t figure the rest out. Seb refused to give me a hint. I called him a smug bastard. He sent back a photo of himself, smiling.

She had the bottle…

I showed Robin the picture because Sparrow was on my hip and he wanted to know what had made me laugh. He looked at Seb’s face, then mine, and wisely went back to chopping onions.

❧

The following Sunday was supposed to be Sparrow’s first visit with Seb outside the boathouse. Nick would take her to the cottage at three and stay with them. We’d agreed on it together.

I was packing her bag when Nick called. His truck had broken down on the harbor road. Dion was in Port Alden, Simon was working and Robin was two hours out. I looked at Sparrow, lying on her play mat and talking to the toy over her head. Seb would be waiting for her.

“I’ll take her,” I told Nick.

I drove into town. Seb’s cottage was three streets up from the water. I’d been surprised to learn he’d rented a place instead of taking a motel room. I shouldn’t have been. Seb never did anything by halves, and he hadn’t come here for a few days.

He opened the door and looked from me to Sparrow in her carrier.

“Nick’s truck died,” I explained.

“He called. I thought you’d cancelled.”

“I didn’t.”

He stood back. “Come in. I haven’t got much here for her yet.”

“Her bag and travel crib are in the car. She might need a nap later.”