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Lisa’s voice was gentle as she said, “Emma, it’s time for bed. Say good-night to your daddy.”
“Night, princess,” Aidan said, kissing Emma before handing her to Lisa. “I’ll be back real soon.”
“And in the meantime, Emma will have her bath and I’ll read her a story,” Lisa said.
What would it be like to put Emma to bed, read to her, then kiss her good-night before seeking Aidan to enjoy the rest of the evening? Feelings of remorse flowed through her at the memory of the words they’d said to each other, their inability to find a way to be a family.
She wanted to be part of Aidan’s life and Emma’s. Everything she’d ever wanted and everything she stood to lose was in this house. Quietly, she went to the door. He must not see her tears. He would want an explanation and she couldn’t give him one without admitting how much she loved him.
When they got to the restaurant Grace was feeling a little more in control. Aidan, true to his word, had kept the conversation light and fun as she drove. They listened as the maître d’ told them a humorous story about his eight-year-old son learning to play the violin, then ordered their favorite food.
When the meal arrived, they talked and ate as if nothing was wrong between them. “Do you remember the first time we went to the movies together?” Aidan asked.
“Ah… Miss Congeniality. Benjamin Bratt and Sandra Bullock. We laughed all the way through it.”
“And how many times have you watched since?”
“Probably three or four times,” she said, savoring the taste of Alfredo sauce.
“I’ve never known anyone who enjoys watching reruns of movies like you do.” He picked up his wineglass. The old connection, so strong between them even after all these years, came alive. It was as if they’d never been apart, as if none of the events of the past weeks had happened.
Nervously, she smoothed her hair, her fingers touching the necklace at her throat. “How is work going?” she asked to keep the conversation on a safe topic.
“Busy.” Aidan sighed, putting his wineglass down. “In fact, we are going to exceed our profit projections for this year based on the first six months.”
He continued to talk, giving Grace a glimpse into the business that excited him. She’d always loved his passion for his work, even though she didn’t understand most of what he did. Yet his enthusiasm triggered a sense of loss. A few weeks ago sharing their day over dinner had been normal—something they’d taken for granted and maybe not appreciated. But because of the past weeks, it had completely and utterly changed.
The man sitting across from her had kept a part of his life a secret from her, had let her believe that he’d been faithful to her. And all the while, his infidelity, his thoughtlessness had threatened everything.
A chill settled in the pit of her stomach. Their life would never be the same again, no matter how much either of them tried to put it back together. They could never go back to how their life had been, to that time of innocence and total trust. Deidre MacPherson—a woman Grace had no real knowledge of and one her husband claimed to not really know or care about—would always overshadow their lives.
But the worst of all was that Aidan could have had a casual relationship with a woman he claimed no real connection to. That he could be so cavalier about something she considered sacred. And now there was a child who would forever represent that fundamental difference in their values. How could he be so careless about sharing his body with another person? What sort of person could have sex with no emotional involvement with someone he’d had no contact with after?
“Sorry. I tend to talk too much about business.” He leaned back in his chair, glancing around for a waiter. “What would you like for dessert?”
