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“It wouldn’t have been so messy if Aidan hadn’t spilled a platter of ribs. I can still see the two of you trying to get the gooey, sticky juice stuff off the ceramic tiles,” Grace said.
“You were a good sport about that. Most women would have thrown a hissy fit and called for a cleaning service.”
“There are so many good memories here, Lucas. But right now, I can’t imagine how we’re going to work out our problems, especially when Aidan doesn’t think there are any. He brushed me off when I asked about this Deidre person. It’s as though he thinks I’m simply overreacting and that I’ll get over the affair and accept his way of doing things with Emma.”
“Do you want me to talk to him? Get him to see what he’s done?”
“I don’t know what good that would do. The affair was five years ago, and he says it meant nothing, which sickens me. How could it mean nothing when there is a child? You should have seen how totally focused he was on his plans for Emma… I still can’t figure how he’s going to manage a little girl who has just lost her mother. He’s never been a parent. He’s never had to look after anyone before. And what if he causes Emma serious emotional issues by forcing her to leave everything she is familiar with so soon after her mother’s death? All to satisfy his need to be a parent.”
“It’s that serious, is it?” Lucas asked, sitting on the stool next to her.
“Worse. He’s not listening. It’s as if he is trying to make up for something…”
Lucas took her hand in his. “I cannot picture how it must have felt for him to find out he has a daughter. But Aidan’s always been so cool under pressure, so able to manage everything. You said he spent most evenings after he found out about Emma in his office. Maybe he was trying, in Aidan fashion, to come to terms with what it meant to suddenly find that he’s a father.”
“And after his infidelity, am I supposed to sit around and wait for him to come to me, to be the person who supports his decision?” she asked, feeling her throat tighten.
“Don’t say that. Think back to the day you had the car accident. Remember? Instead of rushing in and staying by your side, he first arranged to have the surgeon meet him in emergency where he grilled him about how the procedure would be done.”
She couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah, he arrived in my room, the surgeon trailing behind him, the surgery time set. When he finally felt everything was under control, he sat at my bedside with the most anxious look in his eyes.”
“See? You simply have to trust Aidan. He’ll work this out.” He patted her hand before getting up to freshen their coffees. Passing her mug to her, he said, “I realize that it doesn’t help you deal with his betrayal, but right now you need to think about you. You’ve been through so much in such a short time. Why don’t you just take a long, hot bath, read something? Get some rest. Give this a little time. Your husband tends to act first and seek other people’s opinions later.”
“But this is different. This is me. His wife. First, I find out he’s had an affair and a child. Then I find out he hasn’t got time for my feelings.”
“Have you considered the possibility that this whole thing is as big an adjustment for him as it is for you?”
“What? Adjustment? He’s anxious to take over with Emma. That hardly sounds like he’s having trouble adjusting.”
“Think about it. Aidan’s an only child. He never had anyone in his life totally dependent on him—until Emma. That has to cause him all kinds of anxiety regardless of how he appears to be behaving.”
“I can’t let myself care how this is affecting him when he doesn’t care how it’s affecting me. As far as I’m concerned, I don’t know where we go from here, and I wonder if all the pain is worth it.”
