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“Anyway, a couple of years ago, I came home late, and the house was filled with smoke. Amy was passed out. Drunk. High. Both. Taylor was up in her room, thank God. She was fine. But if I’d been an hour later, I can’t even imagine what would have happened.”

Louisa gasped.

“So, I finally left her and brought Taylor with me.”

“That’s when you moved here?”

“No. First I tried to live in LA, around the corner from her. I still wanted her to be a part of Taylor’s life. I made her rehab a part of our custody deal, but she just couldn’t stick at it.”

Sympathy stirred inside Louisa. “I did some work with a rehab charity in Moricosia. Alcoholism is such an awful disease.”

“Yes,” his eyes sparked to hers. “And it tore Amy apart. But it was starting to get to Taylor, too. Amy drove her to my place one day and I swear she was drunk. She denied it, and I didn’t want to make a scene in front of Tay, but I could just tell. God. What a mess.”

“It sounds like you tried everything you could to help her.”

“I’m still trying. I want her to be in Taylor’s life. I have no interest in ruining their relationship. But I need to know my daughter’s safe. And I don’t just mean physically.”

Louisa waited for him to keep going.

“Amy’s online, posting the most ridiculous stuff. Dressing inappropriately, making out with random guys, clearly hammered. Taylor wants social media desperately, and her mother’s let her go on Instagram, despite me telling her again and again it’s not a good idea. I had to delete the app off Tay’s phone, so yet again, I’m the bad guy. I just want to shield her from this.”

Louisa sipped her drink again. “Why?” She asked after she’d made sure she was trying to see it from every angle.

“Because it’s her mother.”

“Yes, but this is who Amy is. She’s an addict. That’s going to be a lifelong struggle. Do you really think it’s right to hide that from Taylor?”

His brow furrowed. “You think I made the wrong choice?”

She moved closer, putting her hand on his. “I think you made the loving choice, but I presume Taylor’s not an idiot. She must have seen things, noticed things, that made her wonder. So why not be open with her? You can keep it age-appropriate and respectful. You can tell her you’re trying to help Amy get better, but that until Amy is better, she’s not a safe person for Taylor to be with.”

“I just don’t want either of them to accuse me of trying to wreck their bond or whatever.”

“You’re not doing that, Amy’s alcoholism is. You’re trying to keep your daughter safe and get Amy the help she needs. The rest is out of your hands.”

He sighed. “You might have a different perspective on these things than my adolescent daughter.”

“Undoubtedly,” she said with a half-smile. “But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t explain it to her.”

He stared at her intently.

“She might say that she hates you, she might rail against you, but she’ll still be listening. She’ll still hear your words, and eventually, she’ll understand.”

“You seem to know a lot about this stuff. Is this all because of your sister?”

“She was a handful, for sure. But I’m also close to Ares’s siblings—he has three—and so I’ve kind of seen everything.”

He scanned her face in a way that made her blood simmer. “Who’s he marrying?”

It was not a question she was prepared for. “Oh.” She looked down quickly, to gather her thoughts, before she felt able to meet his eyes again. “Someone he met through a friend. Someone who was doing some work for him, actually,” she couldn’t help adding with a wry smile.

“Tsk, tsk. A workplace romance. What a silly idea.”

“Terrible,” Louisa agreed, moving closer so she could sit beside him, instead of opposite. She liked being close. She liked feeling his warmth, having him within easy touching distance.

“You’re not jealous?”

She pulled a face. “I’m grateful,” she responded. “I felt so much guilt for leaving him as I did. If the speculation was bad for me, it must have been dreadful for him. But I had to get away. It wasn’t an option. I know I let him down, in some ways. So,I was glad when he told me he’d met someone else. Especially glad because when I looked her up online, she looks to be a really great person.”