Page 104 of The House Guest

That broke my heart. “No, sweetie. You have preschool, and Mommy has some things she needs to do by herself.”

“Are you coming back?”

That question, along with the fear in her eyes, nearly made me cry. How could she think for one second that I would leave her?

“Of course. I told you, I’m only going for a week.”

I didn’t blame her one bit for being apprehensive. I was by her side every minute of every day except for when she was at school, and this would be my first time away from her. Mom guilt consumed me, even if I knew this trip was absolutely necessary.You’ll be a better person for her someday if you live with no regrets.

“When are you leaving?” she asked.

“In two days.”

“Are you going in an airplane?”

“Yes.”

“Is it scary?”

“Not really.” Nothing compared to my nerves about arriving at Dorian’s door unannounced.

“Can we go in an airplane together sometime? You, me, and Daddy?”

You, me, and Daddy.Every word that came out of her mouth hurt me more than the last. “Maybe. I can talk to Daddy about it.”

“Can we fly to see Mickey Mouse?”

“Maybe someday.”

We were headed to Lucy’s house after school today for a playdate. I pulled into the driveway and gathered our things. When I got my daughter out of the car, I hugged her tightly and murmured, “I’m sorry.”

That afternoon, while Rosie was playing with Lucy’s son, Sebastian, I told Lucy everything I’d been putting off. I had no idea how she was going to react.

Once I unloaded it all, Lucy seemed shocked.

“I don’t even know what to say, Primrose. I usually have an opinion, but you’ve floored me here.”

“I know,” I assured her. “You’re not expected to have the perfect reaction or give me advice at this point. That would be unfair to expect. This situation is really difficult to unpack, and I’m just happy you listened to it all.”

“What are you gonna do with the wedding dress?” She chuckled. “I know that’s the least of your problems, but for some reason it’s the first question I have. Maybe I’m still in shock.”

“The store said they’d buy it back—for a fraction of what I paid.” I rolled my eyes. “That’s better than nothing. They have that rack of mistake dresses they sell for a discount.”

“You don’t think there’s any hope for you and Casey? It doesn’t sound like he’s giving up.”

“I don’t think marriage is in the cards for us, no matter what happens.”

“Fair enough.” She sighed and fell quiet for a bit.

“What are you thinking?” I asked. She had to be judging me. How could she not?

“I’m not sure you want to know.”

“I do. Please just tell me what you think.”

“Okay.” She breathed. “Well, for starters… I feel bad for Casey.”

Relief washed over me. “Youshouldfeel bad for Casey,” I agreed. “He’s the hero of this story, and I’m the villain.”