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“I know,” Caleb replied. “You don’t have to.”

I walked past him and Melinda into the home Caleb and I used to share. But most of the decorations I’d slaved over were gone, replaced with Melinda’s touch. Even the accent walls I’d painted were now covered with a bland greige. It was like he’d completely erased me, erased my voice.

I’d expected to be hurt, but instead, I felt a sense of…relief? Exhaustion? Because Caleb and I were over in every single way that mattered. But these kids? They would always tie us together. They would always be ours. Not just mine.

All the kids were in the living room, and when I reached them, I said, “Adabelle, can you go get your mommy?”

She nodded, running toward the front door.

“Kids, follow me.”

We walked to the back room. It used to be a playroom, but now it looked more like a home office. I closed the door behind us and faced all of them. “Look, I didn’t know your dad was seeing anyone, and I know it’s probably strange to see one of your parents dating, but he decided to invite Melinda on this trip without telling me so I could warn you.” I took a deep breath. This week was supposed to be their week with their dad, my week with Gage, but I would give it up, give anything up for these kids. “If you’re uncomfortable in any way and decide you don’t want to go, you can come home with me. It’s your choice.”

Cora said, “I want to go! I can’t believe Ada and I are going to be sisters!”

I fought to make my smile seem genuine. “Great, honey.” I turned to Andrew and Levi.

Levi’s jaw worked angrily, but Andrew faced the ground. His little voice wobbled as he said, “I wanted to go boogie boarding.”

“You can still go,” I said, rubbing his shoulder. “It won’t hurt my feelings at all. I want you to have a fun week, however you decide to have it.”

Andrew nodded. “I want to go, if Levi wants to go.”

All of us looked at Levi, and he said in a rough voice, “Can we talk alone?”

I nodded and said, “You two can wait outside.”

Both Andrew and Cora hesitated.

“Three... two...”

Cora groaned and Andrew pouted, but they both walked to the door. When they left, I looked at Levi and said, “I’m here, babe. What’s up?”

Levi said, “What the fuck?”

“Language,” I said, but honestly, I was thinking the same thing.

“Seriously.” He jerked his arm toward the door. “You’re here making it work as a single mom, taking care of us, and he’s shacking up with some ho from the PTA?”

It was the most words I’d heard from him in months, and it made my heart ache. “She’s not a ho.”

He shook his head. “I know he was cheating on you.”

My eyes widened. I’d worked so hard to keep it from the kids, not wanting them to see their dad as a villain. “How did you find out?”

“I heard Dad on the phone with his secretary one night. He tried to pretend it was a work call, and I believed him, but now...” His voice broke. “How could he do that to you?”

Suddenly, Levi wasn’t a teen on the verge of becoming a man. He was my little boy again who thought a plastic sword could protect us from the world’s evils. He hadn’t known that the people who hurt you most are rarely faceless strangers, but he ones you trust with all your heart.

I pulled him into my arms just like I had when he’d scraped his knee. “People make mistakes,” was all I could say. “And we have to decide what we’ll tolerate. Cheating was one mistake I couldn’t deal with.”

He nodded, sniffing as he pulled back. “I’m so mad at him.”

“It’s okay to be angry,” I said.

He nodded, looking toward the ground.

“And I mean it—you don’t have to go if you don’t want to. It can be a Mom and Levi week, if you want.”