Page 128 of The Me I Left Behind

Tears dripped over her lower lids. “He’s gone, Jason,” she whispered.

He moved closer. “What? Where?”

She tossed the phone and embraced him, throwing her arms around his neck. “He’s…gone. He…died.”

Maggie’s heart burned, ached.

Chloe’s little hand found hers.

The day Maxtold her they would have a one-sided, open marriage, meaninghewas free to do as he wished but not her, was not the day worst day of Maggie’s life. She’d accepted that reality and had adapted.

Nor was it the day she’d learned he had a second family in Australia. That was difficult, but didn’t destroy her. By then, she was nearly oblivious to his indiscretions—although his having another child had proven somewhat challenging to accept.

The day she’d told her children their father had left them. That their lives were about to change forever. That day, her heart had shattered. For them. The kids. Not her. And she’d cursed every fiber of his cowardly ass for hurting them.

But just like Maggie, the children had coped and adjusted.

All of those days were not good days.

The day her kids learned their father had died, however—that he was truly never coming back—that was the day that burned a hole in her heart.

Her kids were confused. Conflicted. Wondering whether they should be sad, angry, or relieved.

They loved him, and they didn’t.

They needed him, and they didn’t.

They missed him. And they didn’t.

They didn’t want him to die…just maybe go away and leave them alone.

To be honest, that’s how Maggie felt, too.Should I be sad and upset? Or feel relieved and celebrate?What a terrible thought.

He didn’t have to die. She just wanted him to let her—let them—go.

“I didn’t expectsomething like this would affect me so,” she said later, the evening that they learned Max had died. Lia and Julia and Alice had been by her side—had been there for all of them—since they’d gotten the news.

The women claimed the front porch of the Gull Cottage. She’d offered margaritas, but no one was interested. Maybe she’d have a glass of wine later. To be honest, Maggie felt at loose ends, unsure which way to turn. For a while, they sat in relative silence, while she simply let her mind waft over this sudden and new reality.

She was worried about the kids.

Logan drove in from Rocky Mount as soon as Carol called him. Her oldest child was holding up extremely well, she thought, but Logan’s coming had done wonders to boost her spirits. Ella came with Alice, too, which was also nice. The older kids, including Jason, had taken up residence on the back deck of the cottage. She was glad. Jason needed to spend more time with the older ones. Lia ordered pizza from The Sandcastle.

Chloe, who had been mostly silent, showed little visible response or emotion to the news. That worried Maggie. She was out for ice cream with Sam and Zach now, and no doubt they would spoil her. She wondered if she’d open up to either of them but doubted it.

I need to spend extra time with all three before bed.

Oddly, she couldn’t stop thinking about Lilly, Max’s mystery lover. Did she know what happened? Had the police contactedher? Did Max have her contact information on him, as well as hers? How very…cozy.

This Lilly… She could be just as innocent as she was years ago. Naïve, gullible, needy, perhaps? Or, Maggie supposed, she could be just the opposite. Independent, self-assured, capable of supporting herself.

And if either were the case, then how was she dealing with Max’s death?

What did she know at this point? About the accident? About his family in the states. His wife and kids. Did she even know anything at all?

While her heart ached for her own children, and for herself—shehadspent over twenty years with the man—but her heart also ached for Lilly, and her child.

“Maggie?” Lia asked. “Are you okay over there?”