Page 103 of Until August

We carried our plates and drinks out to the terrace and set up our lunch for three at a table under the awning that protected us from the early afternoon sun.

Sage positioned himself to face the pier and took a big bite of his pizza, his eyes on the beach. “My friends might be at the beach. Maybe I can see them from here.”

“You’re seeing your friends later this afternoon,” August said.

“Yeah.” Sage’s shoulders sagged. “I’m leaving tomorrow, so this is our last day.”

I side-eyed August.

I wanted to ask Sage if he was upset about leaving. But it wasn’t my place and probably a bad thing to do to a kid.

If I were August, I don’t know if I’d be able to stop myself.

“You’re going to have a great time in Hawaii,” August said, his tone so upbeat that his son would never know how much it cost him to say the words. “So you have something to look forward to.”

I gave him a little smile and squeezed his hand under the table. That’s exactly what a good dad would say. Instead of thinking about himself, he’d put Sage first. Which just went to show how wrong Sasha had been to call August selfish.

“Yeah, I can’t wait.” Sage’s face lit up with a smile. “I looove Hawaii. It’s so cool there. You should come and visit,” he told August, and my heart broke for him.

“I’ll see you when you get back,” he said evenly. “But you can FaceTime me from the phone I gave you, okay?”

“Okay.” Sage guided the straw to his mouth and took a sip of his sparkling water. Then his brow furrowed. “I hope Mom doesn’t get mad about the phone. She told me I was too young for a phone.”

“I’ll talk to her,” August said.

“Okay. Cause I really want the phone. I just don’t wanna get in trouble.”

“You won’t. I promise.”

Sage smiled and finished eating his lunch. His dad’s word was good enough for him. When he wasn’t looking, August scrubbed his hand over his face, and I could feel his pain.

I hoped and prayed it would only be for six weeks. Not ideal, but he’d get through it. I didn’t know what he’d do if they moved there, though.

If anyone was being selfish, it was Sasha.

Maybe it was wrong for me to think that way, but if my husband had been sent to prison for the same reasons as August, I would have stood by his side.

I would have waited five years… I would have waited for ten.

I would have been angry and hurt, and I probably would have resented him for leaving me to hold the baggage, but I never would have deserted him.

I’d never been in Sasha’s shoes, so maybe it was easy for me to say. But I knew myself.

I don’t give up on the people I love.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-FIVE

August

“Here you go.”Nicola handed me a damp sponge before backing away toward the glass doors.

“Thanks. For everything.” Translation:Thank you for letting Sage come into your kitchen and making him feel special.

It meant a lot to me.

“Don’t thank me. It’s been my pleasure.” She aimed her smile at Sage. “It’s not every day I have two great chefs in my kitchen.”

Sage grinned, puffing out his chest a little at the compliment. “We made some really good pizza, right?”