"And what about you two?" Mariah turned to Aelin and Ryan.
Aelin shrugged. “You saw everything we did, I think. Mostly stuck around the cabin.”
Mariah took a drink from her water glass. "The girls go to bed at what time?"
Aelin’s mouth fell open, but Ryan only grinned. “Early enough for me to win at Crazy Eights.”
Amaya looked at him, horrified. “You played after we went to sleep?”
The adults laughed while Ryan tried to explain that he was joking without much luck.
Mariah raised an eyebrow and mouthed, “I like him.” Aelin shot her look, then pretended to be very interested in how Bailey was colouring her placemat.
The server brought their food, and Aelin's mouth watered at the sight of her grilled cheese. The cheddar oozed out from between the slices of bread, and the bacon was crispy and perfectly cooked. She took a bite and sighed.
“Good?” Ryan asked with a smirk.
Aelin nodded, her mouth too full to respond. She looked around the table. Mariah picked up a breakfast taco, her son Tucker orderedthe largest smothered burrito known to man, Leo was taking a massive bite of his burger, and her parents shared a plate of meatloaf, eggs, and mashed potatoes. Every little girl had pancakes.
She grinned and took another bite.
Half an hour later, they said their goodbyes to Dave reciting, “The road goes ever on and on,” then window shopped their way back to Ryan’s car arguing about when Bailey would be old enough to watch The Hobbit.
And then they were buckled into their seats. Ryan started the engine, and Aelin turned her head so the girls wouldn’t see tears slipping down her cheeks.
_____
They stopped at the last American Walmart on their route and picked up as many cases of Cream Soda Dr. Pepper as they could fit between their bags before crossing the border back into Canada. As they passed the wooden “Welcome to Alberta” sign, a knot formed in Aelin’s stomach.
Her life seemed to peel like an onion, each layer of reality stinking stronger than the last.Clark wanted to sell the house. She couldn’t find an affordable housing option. He was going to use that to try and take her custody time.
Ryan glanced in the back, then dropped his sweatshirt over the console to hide his arm from the backseat and reached over for her hand. Aelin’s fingers trembled as she took it. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back. Breathe. In and out.
The kilometres ticked by, and they eventually hit the outskirts of Calgary. The sun was ripe and swollen on the horizon as Ryan turned onto her street.
She wanted to tell him to slam on the brakes. To wait at thestop sign for just a few more minutes. But then he was pulling up to the curb and then?—
Aelin’s heart turned to stone and sank in her chest.
“Is that Dad’s car?” Bailey pointed at the sleek black Audi in the driveway.
A cold sweat broke out on the back of Aelin’s neck.What the hell was he doing there?She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. The sight of that car juxtaposed with their perfect week was so jarring, her vision blurred at the edges.
Ryan's hand landed on her shoulder, but it wasn't enough to pull her out of the whirlpool of panic.
"Aelin . . . "
She swallowed hard. "That's Clark's car."
Ryan's eyes darkened, and he glanced back at the girls in the back seat.
Clark wasn't supposed to be in the house. Per their initial mediation agreement, he was only allowed to be in the driveway for pick-ups and drop-offs. But his car was off. And he wasn’t inside it.
Ryan swore under his breath as he turned off the engine. "Stay here. I'll?—"
"No." Aelin's voice was firm. “Seeing you is only going to make it worse.” She pushed her door open and hurried to the back of the car, patting the trunk for Ryan to open it. Aelin's legs felt like jelly as she started lifting out the cases of soda.
“I can do that.” Ryan put a hand on the small of her back, but it only made her shake harder. Her fingers slipped on the handle of her suitcase.
