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Andi chuckled. “Is food the only thing you think about?”

Fallon grinned. “Not theonlything.”

“Mm. That’s a little spicier than what’s in my recipe box,” Andi offered.

“Don’t encourage her,” Ida said, looking at Fallon. “She could use a little lessspiceand something with a little moreage.”

“Very funny, Mom,” Fallon said. She turned back to Andi. “Come on, Andi. Let me help. It’s only for a few weeks. You won’t have to cook for methatmuch.”

Andi pursed her lips and shook her head. “Are you sure you want to spend that much time with my boys?”

Fallon shrugged. “Tearing myself from Pete and Dale whining about the Red Sox while they drain the Budweiser keg will be painful.”

“I’ll owe you more than a few dinners.”

“You don’t owe me anything. It’s what best friends do,” Fallon said.

Time imparted endless lessons. Andi realized that what appeared to be a faint ripple could signal a tsunami of transformation. That singular moment—Fallon's gentle act of kindness changed the course of their relationship for the next fourteen years.

“I know you love the boys. They love you,” Andi said.

“I didn’t want anything to come between us,” Fallon confessed. “I knew Jake would come home. And I knew my place. I didn’t intend for anything to change his place in your life. It hurt, Andi, for a lot longer than I want to admit. It hurt whenhe came home. I missed being with you—all of you. I missedyou.”

“I missed you, too,” Andi said. “It was safe, Fallon—for both of us. Livdidbreak your heart. More than that, she undermined your trust. It wassafewith me and the boys. And you were safe for me. Until it wasn’t.”

Fallon nodded.

“When I think about it, you slept at my house a few nights a week when the kids were in school. How many times did we fall asleep together on the sofa?” Andi asked. “How many times did you wake up and start the coffee or take the kids to school so I could sleep a little longer? You were more like my spouse than Jake. Only one thing was missing between us. And when we did cross that threshold? We played itsafeagain. We stuck to what we knew,” Andi said. “I woke up in your arms that morning, and I knew, Fallon—I knew if I woke up to you again, I wouldn’t be able to let you go. We both felt it. So we made a rule. We played itsafe. Maybe we thought it would preserve what we had. And we did—until you met Riley.”

“Andi.”

“It’s true.”

“Why didn’t you ever tell me? Did you think I wanted something different?” Fallon wondered.

“By the time we became lovers, the boys were off on their own,” Andi replied. “When you met Riley, I could see the handwriting on the wall. You fit with her in every way that matters.”

“We do. Sometimes I worry, though.”

“About?”

“She’s hesitant about us having a baby.”

“I don’t think that’s true,” Andi said, chuckling. “You played it safe with me for so long, and when you found Riley, you went into warp drive.”

“I…”

“It’s still about safety for you, Fallon. You’re worried that if you can’t make it all come together now, it’ll slip away.”

“I’m not the one afraid to rock the boat, Andi. Riley’s the one who says she doesn’t want to rock our boat when we just got on the water.”

“She wants time,” Andi said. “For you to trust that the boat won’t sink. But you’re not wrong. I’m sure Riley is scared, too. Change is always hard, even the change we invite into our lives. It’s always like a spark. You never know what it will ignite.”

“You remind me of Mom.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Fallon smiled. “I’m considering starting a new venture.”