Jack sat up fast, running a hand roughly through his hair. “This is insane. Of course I didn’t have an affair! I made a promise to you, Heather. In front of God, in front of everyone we know. How could you even think I’d break that?”
“Then why won’t you talk about them? Why do you completely shut down every single time I bring up Lily?”
He hung his head, and his silence said more than any answer could have. I could almost hear the gears grinding behind his eyes, some private war being fought between truths and lies he wasn’t ready to hand over yet.
“I can’t… I can’t talk about this right now,” he finally muttered, already swinging his legs off the mattress.
“Jack, don’t you dare walk away from me right now!”
But he was already gone, out the bedroom door, leaving me alone in the dark with nothing but my own racing thoughts and a fear I couldn’t name yet.
I woke the next morning to an empty bed and a note left on the nightstand: Gone to work early. We’ll talk tonight.
Classic Jack. Avoid the confrontation, buy himself a few hours, hope the storm blows itself out before he has to face it head-on.
I spent that entire day moving through a fog, going through the motions of an ordinary Tuesday while my mind spun in tighter and tighter circles. By early afternoon I couldn’t stand the uncertainty for one more second. I needed real answers, and I knew exactly where I might find them.
“Emma, sweetie,” I called out, keeping my voice deliberately light. “Why don’t you go play with Lily for a bit?”
She was out the door in seconds, thrilled at the excuse. I forced myself to wait a full, agonizing hour before I followed after her, my heart pounding the entire walk next door. I knocked, plastering on my best friendly-neighborhood-mom smile like a mask I could hide behind.
Lily’s father answered, his easy grin faltering just slightly the moment he registered who was standing on his porch. “Hey, it’s Heather, right? So good to finally meet you properly! Please, come in. I’m Ryan. Emma’s out back with Lily if you’re looking for her.”
