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“Good night, baby girl,” she whispered, laying Libby down. She didn’t know how the adorable toddler usually fell asleep, but since she didn’t fuss and Matthew didn’t say she needed rocking, Katherine left her alone in the crib, turned off the lights, and slipped out of the room.

“Misson accomplished,” Katherine declared triumphantly when she returned to the kitchen and saw Matthew standing at the counter, pouring them each a drink. “Thanks for letting me help out. I had a lot of fun.”

“It’s me who should be thanking you. I don’t know how I would’ve made it through the day without you.”

“You would’ve been fine,” Katherine sighed as she sat down.

But Matthew’s quiet response said he misunderstood her meaning.

“I didn’t mean that in a bad way,” she hurried to explain. “I’m glad I was here to help, but you’re much stronger than you give yourself credit for. I guess what I meant to say is that you would’ve been just fine without me.”

Matthew set a tall glass in front of Katherine before joining her at the table. “I hope making you a drink is okay,” he said, casually placing his hand over hers.

“It’s fine,” she responded, referring to the amber liquid in the glass before pulling her hand away to reach for it.

“Sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”

Katherine tilted the glass and peered inside. “It’s alright.”

“No, it’s not.”

“No, really, it is,” she said. “It’s not you. It’s me.”

Sounding like a bad cliché, Katherine knew she’d have to explain. The last thing she wanted was to push Matthew away or have another misunderstanding between them. Besides, she’dtrusted him with so much already. Maybe it was best to tell him the rest of her story.

“I only meant that I’m not really used to being touched by anyone. Not even family or friends. At some point, I stopped letting people get too close to me years ago. And it usually takes me a while to warm up to someone new anyway.” With a shrug, she fidgeted in her seat. “Maybe I’ve always been a little distant with people.”

“I wouldn’t say that. You’re shy sometimes, reserved maybe, but not distant. I’ve seen how you are with Peter and Justin, and even today, how you were with Libby. You’re great with people.”

“With some people, sure, but it’s not the same with everyone. Peter’s cool. And I’ve known Justin for most of my life. So, I’m comfortable with them. And as far as Libby goes, that’s because babies and little kids feel safe to me. There’s no judgment from them, and they don’t try to figure you out or tell you who you should be or how you should feel.”

Matthew watched Katherine take a long swallow before she stopped and looked inside again. “What is this?”

“Whisky highball,” he said, tilting his head toward the bottle of whisky and the can of ginger ale sitting on the counter. “I can make you something else if you don’t like it.”

“No, that’s okay. I’m just usually a straight bourbon kind of girl,” Katherine said, leaving the table to add another splash of whisky to her glass, then test it with a quick sip.

When she’d met with Millie for the first time, the overly peaty Scottish whisky Millie had poured calmed Katherine’s nerves to the point that she’d opened up and shared about her loss. Now, she hoped Matthew’s whisky would have the same effect since she was about to tell him everything about her greatest heartbreak.

“Did you ever drink more than you should’ve after Max died?”

“A few times,” Katherine admitted. “How about you?”

“Yeah… the night of Julia’s funeral was pretty bad. I’m just glad my parents were there to take care of Libby the next day.”

Katherine nodded. “I’m glad you had their support.”

“Me too,” Matthew said. “Those times you drank, did it help?”

“No.” Katherine frowned, looking down at the table before taking another swallow and locking eyes with Matthew. “But I wasn’t drinking because I was sad about Max. I was drinking because I was looking for a way to escape the pain of losing my baby.”

Matthew’s brows wrinkled in confusion. “Your baby?”

“My daughter... she was with Max on the night of the fire.”

Though Katherine said the words without hesitation, she could feel their weight pressing down on her.

“I’m sorry, Katie. I had no idea.”