“Emma’s doing everything she can,” she said. “Claire too.” She paused. “She’s been a rock.”
My shoulders tensed.
Of course she had been.
“So don’t make their jobs harder,” Sophie added calmly.
Shame burned behind my ribs.
“I’m not trying to,” I said.
“I hope not,” she warned.
She shifted Lily gently toward me. Careful for Lily’s sake, but firm. A silent message in her eyes.
Do better.
When Lily slid back into my arms, reluctant and stiff, I felt the weight of Sophie’s judgment settle on me completely.
“Goodbye, Lily,” she whispered, kissing her cheek.
Then, colder, “Ethan.”
She walked away.
Lily watched her go, her face filled with quiet longing. I watched her go with quiet humiliation.
I adjusted Lily against my shoulder, trying to make her comfortable, but she kept her body rigid, her face turned away from me.
And for the first time since I’d come home, I wondered if she would ever look at me the way she had, or if I even deserved that.
I walked toward the checkout in a fog. The basket felt heavier with every step, though it wasn’t the groceries weighing me down.
I couldn’t shake Sophie’s words.
I couldn’t shake Claire’s face from the night before anger and shock tangled together, like seeing me had reopened something she’d worked hard to close.
Everyone closer to her seemed to feel the same way.
I’d hurt her and they hadn’t forgotten.
Why should they?
Why should she?
By the time I reached the car, my chest felt tight. I pressed a hand to my forehead and stood there for a moment before unlocking it.
I didn’t know how to fix any of this.
I didn’t know if I even could.
All I knew was that Lily had cried in my arms, Sophie had looked at me like I was poison, and the whole town seemed to be holding its breath.
Waiting to see how I would fail again.
And the worst part was…
I wasn’t sure I wouldn’t.
