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“Andi thinks of you like a mom, you know?”

“And I think of her as a daughter—always have. Fallon, our family stretches beyond biology. I see you are ready to argue your point again. Liv may be gone. The choices she and Dean made have left many scars for the kids—for Barb, Beth, andyou. Riley sees that. You’re fooling yourself if you think Owen can’tfeelit.”

Fallon sighed regretfully. Ida’s observations were spot-on, as usual. The last few months had been filled with a myriad of emotions, accompanied by tender celebrations and unthinkable losses. Fallon wanted to claim she was in control of her feelings—that she’d managed to break through the haze of grief to see things clearly. Before Liv died, Fallon hadn’t considered the possibility of Dean playing a role in her efforts to build a family with Riley. Suddenly, his involvement felt like a foregone conclusion she could not see beyond.

“Fallon,” Ida said gently. “I understand why you’re struggling. Losing Liv has been harder for you than anyone understands.”

“That’s not true.”

“Oh, I think it is. You have a lot of guilt tied up in that relationship, and a good deal of that is directed towards your relationship with Dean.”

Fallon groaned.

“You had every right and reason to be upset with your brother,” Ida said. “But no matter how you’ve tried to convince yourself otherwise, you’ve missed him. You need to accept thatyou can’t rekindle what you shared before your breakup with Liv. You can build something new. If you hope to have a healthy relationship with Dean, you need to be clear on what bridges you can and cannot cross. You lashed out at Riley for setting boundaries you should have already made clear. If you’re honest with yourself, you’re not upset with your wife. You’re frustrated with yourself.”

“Shit.”

Ida smiled. “Riley will understand,” she said. “She understands you better than you think. But you owe her something more than an apology this time.”

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me, Mom.”

“You’re struggling with conflicting emotions. Don’t press this idea about expanding your family so soon,” Ida advised.

“Mom.”

“Fallon, I’m telling you to let Riley lead on this one. I know why you’re anxious to add a baby to the family. So does she.”

“I’m not getting younger,” Fallon said. “And it can take time.”

“Yes. It can. But you need to give this some breathing room. Stop making references to baby rooms, cribs, and cute onesies, and stop referencing everyone’s baby-making. Take a breath and let Riley come to you.” Ida offered Fallon a reassuring hug. “Go home and talk to your wife.”

“I’m not sure she’ll be happy to see me.”

“She’ll want to discuss why you walked away from an important conversation.”

“I told you; it didn’t feel like a conversation.”

“Believe it or not, I understand how you feel,” Ida said. “But I don’t think Riley was trying to back you into a corner.”

Fallon sighed.

“Mm. I think she feels backed into a corner, and she’s asking you to create a pathway for her to meet you in the middle.”

“I didn’t make that easy,” Fallon grumbled.

“She’ll forgive you.”

“Are you sure I can’t just stay here?”

Ida laughed. “Youcan.I don’t think youshould.”

“Face the music, huh?”

“Apologize for walking away and give her the space to share how she feels,” Ida said. “And if she puts you in time-out, accept the punishment without any backtalk.”

Fallon chuckled. “And if she wants to spank me?” she quipped.

Ida rolled her eyes. “I wouldn’t count on any repercussions you’d enjoy,” she advised, pushing Fallon gently toward the door. “Now, go.”