My body felt heavier as I started to accept the fact that Ethan wasn’t coming.
I didn’t even bother checking my phone. There hadn’t been a single notification the whole time I was in the exam room. No missed calls. No texts. Just silence that was even more deafening in a room full of soft laughter and rustling magazines.
I interlaced my fingers and clenched them to stop the tremble.
This wasn’t the first time Ethan had let me down. But it was the worst.
Today mattered. This wasn’t a random dinner he forgot to put on his calendar. It wasn’t a weekend plan he casually brushed aside.
This was our future. Our maybe-baby. The family he said he was excited to build with me.
I blinked up at the ceiling to keep the tears from falling, my throat burning.
The automatic door hissed open across the lobby, and I looked over, a sliver of hope returning. A man in a suit walked in with a woman trailing behind, her hand resting on a prominent bump beneath a fitted maternity dress. They both smiled when they saw the toddler clutching a juice box by the play area.
I quickly turned away, feeling as though my heart was being ripped to shreds. Hurrying to my car, I let the tears fall where no one could see. He wasn’t coming.
I was Ethan’s wife, but I wasn’t his priority. Not even close.
2
ETHAN
Istepped out of the restaurant into the thick summer air, walking just behind my mother as she adjusted her purse strap and smoothed a hand over her perfectly set hair. The lunch crowd bustled around us, but I barely registered any of it. My head was already back at the office, juggling Q3 projections and board demands.
“Thank you again for making time,” she said, glancing up at me with a soft smile. “It’s just been such a difficult week.”
My mother had lived a sheltered life, first with my grandparents and then my dad. With them gone, it was up to me to take care of her now.
Pulling open the door to her car, I promised, “You know I’ll always make time for you.”
She gave a delicate sigh as she slid into the driver’s seat. “Your father would be so proud of the man you’ve become. You’re holding everything together, just like he did.”
That particular compliment always hit me in the gut. I didn’t feel like I was doing a good job of holding everything together. Between my job, my wife, and my mom, I had a lot on my plate.
Then her voice turned more pointed. “I do wish Callie would attend more of the club events. Or pick up the phone when I call. I’ve left messages.”
I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from snapping at her.
“She’s teaching two courses this summer,” I said mildly.
Margot tsked under her breath. “Still, that’s no reason not to make time for family.”
“We just had dinner with you on Sunday,” I reminded her.
“I suppose I’ll have to be happy with the time she has for me.” Margot reached up to pat my hand where it rested on the door. “She’s lucky to have you.”
“I’m the lucky one to have Callie as my wife, Mom.”
“And I know how busy you are,” she continued as though I hadn’t said anything. “You’re a very important man, Ethan. Not everyone appreciates how much pressure that brings.”
“Sorry, I need to get back,” I said, checking my watch. “My afternoon is jam packed, as always.”
She nodded, and I shut the door once she started the engine. I watched her pull away, then turned back toward the Langford Tech building down the block.
The second I stepped inside the lobby, the artificial chill of the air conditioner hit my face. But it didn’t cool the mild headache starting to pulse behind my temples.
It had already been a long day.
