Meanwhile, they’d gone their separate ways, Vanessa back to her parents’ and he and Daisy to a nearby hotel, and he spent the following day cheering his daughter up by taking her around the sights before getting a Sunday evening flight back to Heathrow.
Maybe there had been signs for a while that things weren’t right, and all this business with the ring had helped him realize it.
As Jane would no doubt have said, everything happened for a reason.
He spent the rest of the journey so deep in thought that he didn’t even realize the taxi had come to a stop in front of their town house.
“Mate? This the place?” the driver asked.
Daisy nudged him. “Dad, we’re here.”
Ethan snapped to attention, surprised. He paid the driver and grabbed their bags, then trundled up the steps slowly and extracted his key from his pocket.
Clearly after what had happened, Vanessa must have taken the next available flight back. It hadn’t taken her long to remove the few boxes she had brought with her when she moved in. In retrospect, her keeping her old apartment and all her furniture should probably have been the first indication that this arrangement wouldn’t be forever.
“She’s gone,” Daisy said unnecessarily.
“I know, poppet,” he confirmed. “Looks like it’s just you and me again.”
“I’m sorry, Dad,” she said through a large sob. “It’s all my fault for losing the ring, isn’t it?” Suddenly she began to cry openly, and Ethan’s heart melted. She took so much on herself.
He pulled his daughter close and led her toward the sofa. “Of course none of this is your fault. These things just happen sometimes, and it’s nobody’s fault.”
Daisy buried her head on his shoulder. “I’m sorry for not taking better care of it,” she mumbled through her tears.
“Honey, it doesn’t matter. The ring has nothing to do with this.” But of course, that wasn’t strictly true, was it?
“Are you mad at me?”
“No, darling. Of course I’m not mad.”
“But you and Vanessa aren’t going to get married now?”
“No, we’re not. And that test you found? There was no baby. It was only a way to check if there might be one.”
She nodded thoughtfully. “I think I might have liked a brother or sister.”
“I know, poppet.” Ethan sighed. “I would have liked that for you too.”
“Vanessa’s not coming back.” It was more of a statement than a question.
“No. But it’s okay. You and me, we’re a team. You know that. We only need each other, don’t we?”
***
“Who is it?”
“It’s me. Please, I need to talk to you.”
“Leave me alone. I don’t want to talk.”
“Okay, fine, but maybe you’d like to eat?” Terri tried to keep her voice light, but inside, her nerves were in tatters. If Rachel didn’t respond to this—their mutual joke—then their friendship was well and truly over. “I’ve brought some of my famous sourdough.”
It seemed as if several minutes passed until finally the door opened just a fraction. From what little Terri could see of her, Rachel’s face looked drawn and she had her hair pulled back.
“Well, I am hungry,” she said, and Terri saw some of the old sparkle behind the facade.
“Thought you might be.” Terri handed her the loaf. “I really need to talk to you. Please.”
