“How did it go?”
“Good, I think. Though, um, I don’t know how long I’ll have to be here.” I tuck my hair behind my ear and peer at her over my mug.
“Oh?” She leans a luscious hip against the counter.
“I don’t know how long the process will take or whether I’ll be allowed to take Kane with me to Brooklyn before everything is settled. There are a lot of unanswered questions right now.”
Millie’s quiet, her expression open and thoughtful.
“I was wondering.” I clear my throat, working up the nerve to get the words out. “Would you like to stay longer?”
Her shoulders sag. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“Because…” She takes a sip from her mug, her throat bobbing as she swallows, then sets it down. “This is a family matter, and I’m not?—”
“I know.” Just like a movie reel, scenes of a life where Millie is really my wife flash before my eyes. Singing in the kitchen while I cook breakfast and she pours tea. Nude beaches in Greece. Picking out baby clothes in a stupidly expensive boutique on the Upper East Side. Her asleep on my shoulder after watching reruns ofGlee. “But…”I really want you by my side through this.I don’t say that. I can’t. Instead, I go with “Do you have to be back in the city right away?”
“No.” She shrugs. “Not really.”
“Then stay. Val has offered the apartment for as long as we want.” I search her eyes for clues about how she’s taking this proposal, but her green irises are indifferent. “C’mon, what do you say?”Please say yes.“What else do you need here? I’ll buy a second bed if that’ll make you feel more comfortable.”
She grins. “No. Our bed situation is fine.”
My lungs constrict with tortured anticipation as she assesses me, still wearing an impossible-to-read mask.
“Okay,” she finally says.
“Okay?” I don’t even attempt to hide the smile that splits my face. Without a second thought, I scoop her into my arms, nearly knocking over her mug in the process. I press my lips into the soft skin at her neck and exhale my relief. “Thank you, Mills,” I whisper. “Thank you.”
While she doesn’t quite sink into my embrace, she doesn’t resist it either, so I countit as a win.
“Are you hungry? Have you eaten?” I ask like a fussy Jewish mother.
“I’ve been too nauseous and tired to eat.”
I release her and take a step back to study her. Her face is pale, though her cheeks are flushed, probably from the heat of the tea.
I grab the keys to the car off the counter and head toward the stairs. “I’ll be back soon with food. Will you be okay?”
She nods, and I’m out the door.
17
Millie
PERIOD CRAMPS ARE A BITCH.But this heavy flow is even worse. While Ezra is gone, I take another shower, this one as hot as I can stand. When I’m finished and dressed, I find the ibuprofen on the nightstand. Beside it, Ezra’s phone buzzes. It’s a text from Kane. The preview banner readsDid you talk to the lawyer?
I’m wringing my wet hair with the towel when another text comes through.Sorry, I’m just really nervous. Text me back so I…
Oh, poor kid. I wish I could reply, but I don’t know Ezra’s passcode.
Can I call you?pops up.
A moment later, Kane’s name flashes on the screen, and without a second thought, I answer.
“Kane, hi. It’s Millie.”
