Jake scowled and fed himself a scoop of ice cream. “You did,” he repeated.

“It’s been eight years. You know the details. You and Justine are the only two people who actually know. When I told him I’d had the baby and he died, he seemed genuinely sad. Remorseful. He’s divorced now, he says. It stirred up some old feelings, I guess you could say. It brought to mind how hopelessly and stupidly in love I was at the time. I had no control of my feelings. None.”

“Back then or now?” he asked.

“I was thrown back into the past for a little while—he played me like a fiddle, I think. Then he called me tonight and asked me to meet him. To talk. I assumed there was more he had to say or maybe to ask me. So of course I went. He wanted to drive up to the lookout so we could be alone, but he spoiled it all by kissing me. It was a fantastic, memorable kiss, but it tipped me off that maybe talking wasn’t a priority. And his dialogue was much more interesting. He was hoping this reunion would lead to a second chance.”

“Since the first one went so well,” Jake grumbled.

“I’m so dense sometimes,” she said, scooping another spoonful out of the container. “But then I haven’t had that much experience. There were a couple of pretty unexciting boyfriends in high school and college. Then after Hadley and the baby, the only guy I dated was you.”

“Addie, what we did wasn’t exactly dating...”

“Pizza, the occasional movie, wine and dessert from the deli...”

“Those things were the things friends do,” he said.

“And we’ve always been good friends,” she reminded him. “Besides Justine, you’re the only person I confide in. And when Justine lived in San Jose, I talked to you a lot more than her. I’m glad I ran into Hadley. I figured something out that I should have known a long time ago. He is a clever man. If he had wanted to call me, just to see how I was holding up, he would have. All that business he gave me about our painful breakup and how I told him I didn’t want to hear from him—that never would have stopped him. He’s just a player.”

“I could’ve told you that,” Jake said.

“So is your ex, Mary Ellen—just a player.”

“Definitely. Now she’s with some old guy who looks like he’s gonna croak any second, but I hear he has money.”

“We’ve spent a lot of time over the years bad-mouthing the exes.”

“A time-honored sport,” he said. “I have to admit, I’m well over Mary Ellen. I can’t even remember what fantasy I was engaged in that made me think we’d have a life together. A great life. It wasn’t great for fifteen minutes.”

“I was thinking the same thing. Hadley said he loved me in no time. Two weeks, I think. How do you know if you love someone in two weeks?”

“Infatuation, Addie. That’s what it was.” Then he grinned. “Pretty cool at the time, wasn’t it? Fills you up inside till you think you might explode.”

“Yeah, boy,” she said with a deep sigh. “He said I was old enough to know what I was doing. I was twenty-four. And now I’m asking myself what I thought was so great about him. The man has no depth. No substance. He’s all talk and manipulation. I let him cost me years of loneliness.”

“That’s not a fair assessment,” Jake said. “He might have been the original cause, but then things snowballed. Your dad, your mom, and before you know it, you’ve put your life on hold to help others. I think what you did was very brave.”

“For all those years I was stuck at home, I spent a lot of time online—I had a large group of friends around the country in similar situations, and we communicated online. We talked books and politics and traded recipes. There was also social media—I spent a lot of time at that. Since I took my job at the center, I haven’t paid any attention to those people. I have people sending me messages asking if I’m all right, if I’m sick or something.”

“Is he going to be back?” Jake asked. “The professor?”

“You won’t say his name,” she said, smiling and dipping her spoon in the container again.

“I hate him,” Jake said.

“Because he hurt me?”

“Not that simple,” he said. “You can get over a broken heart. It’s harder to get over self-doubt.”

“It’s kind of amazing what losing forty pounds and getting a job where you actually feel necessary can do for your self-esteem. But then, that’s the whole mission of our reentry program—giving people purpose, raising their self-awareness and making them feel a part of society again. A functional, productive part.”

“Yeah, well, if it makes you happy then it makes me happy, but Addie, you’ve always been beautiful and you’ve always had a hard job where you helped people.”

“You help people every day, Jake. Most of this neighborhood would be lost without you.”

“I don’t think of it that way. It’s my business. If I’m a good neighbor, I do a better business.”

“Jake, I think I’ve taken you for granted all these years. You’ve been my best friend. I counted on you, and you never let me down.”

“I never felt taken for granted,” he said. “And you never let me down either.”

He lifted her chin with a finger and looked into her eyes. “You weren’t ready to even think about anything more complicated than friendship, for obvious reasons.”

She dipped her spoon into the ice cream container and aimed it at his mouth. “One of these days, we might revisit that issue.” Then she laughed. “Now that I have a house bursting at the seams with people.”

“Addie, I have my own house. And you’ve never been inside.”

“Well now,” she said. “There’s a thought.”

* * *

Scott called Justine and asked if it would be convenient to stop by Addie’s house to have a talk with her and the girls. “A talk about what, Scott?”

“About the house in San Jose. A house that no one seems to be using at the moment.”

“We could probably have this conversation, again, over the phone.”

“No, I’d like the girls to be a part of it. If it’s okay with you.”

“It’s okay with me,” she said. “Don’t bring her. That’s nonnegotiable.”

“She’s out of town, visiting some friends. This is between us. Our family.”

Poor Scott, she thought sadly. He just can’t digest the fact that we are no longer the family we were. He thought he’d just step out, form new liaisons, step back in when it suited him and everyone would adapt to his needs. How could he not understand that they were a torn apart family glued back together in an awkward, lumpy, uncomfortable fabric that chafes and scratches.

“Your dad wants to come over and talk with us about the San Jose house,” Justine said to Amber. “He’ll be here in about ten minutes.”

“Isn’t that between you and Dad?” she asked.

“Well, it’s your home, too. I guess he wants to include you.”

“Great,” she said, putting in her earbuds, escaping back into music.

“Livvie, your dad is coming over in a few minutes. He wants to talk with us about the house in San Jose.”

“What about it?” she asked.

“I don’t know. I’d be guessing. Since he’ll be here in a few minutes, let’s just get it from him.”

“I hate this stuff,” Livvie said.

“Me, too,” Justine agreed.

She was so done with him. She hated that this Band-Aid was being pulled off so damn slowly, that the negotiations seemed never ending, that there was always one more piece of business. Since he’d made his choice, since he didn’t love her anymore, she wanted him to just go away. She wanted to rebuild her life in peace and tranquility.

She loved her little law office. She was fond of Sam and his wife. She wanted to get to know Logan better. She was sure she would never remarry and she wasn’t sure she could even entertain the idea of a serious boyfriend, but it would be nice to hold hands while walking on the beach, to talk politics without arguing, even to compare exes and learn about singlehood, something she never expected to experience. Having been with Scott so long, she felt as if she’d been born married. The ringing doorbell interrupted her thoughts.

“Hi,” Scott said. “Thanks for letting me come over.”

“Sure. I hope we can get to the end of these constant negotiations, Scott. I’d like to concentrate on other things.”

“Sure. Me, too.”

The girls sat in the living room, stiff and waiting. He kissed each one; hugged them. Justine noticed he got a little emotional and seemed to swallow it down.

“So, it appears you’re hardly ever at the house,” he said.

“Well, you’re hardly ever at the house,” Amber said. “We’re not spending any time with you. But here, we have dinner with Mom every night.”

“And you don’t mind driving so far to school?” he asked.

“Yeah, I mind it,” Olivia said. “But I also mind living alone at the big house.”

“This place,” he said, looking around. “It’s a lot smaller and older...”

“They like the beach,” Justine said. “They also enjoy the time they get to spend with Addie. And it’s very rare for me to have to work evenings. Very rare. My schedule is much more relaxed now.”

He leaned back in the chair. “You look more relaxed.”

And yet he didn’t, Justine thought. He looked stressed and a little too thin. “Have you been working out more?” she asked.

He laughed uncomfortably. “No, I’ve been busy at the shop. See, I took a look at that kayak shack, ran some numbers and I’m sure, given time, I can turn it around. I have a lot of experience, you know.”