Page 105 of The Wright Man

I followed Gavin back inside, walking behind him as he staggered a little toward the kitchen.

Inside, the shift was immediate.

The second I stepped through the door, the warmth of the deck dissolved. The house felt heavier. Quieter. My body tensed on instinct. I expected yelling. A guilt trip. A tantrum. Something to punish me for embarrassing him in front of his little fan club.

Instead, he turned to me, eyes glazed, mouth soft.

"I've been thinking," he said, stepping toward me. I stepped back.

His face twitched. "I think we should try again."

I blinked. "Try what again?"

He reached for my hand. I moved it behind my back.

"A baby," he said. "I think... that's what we need. That's what's been missing. Once we have that, everything else will fall into place."

My stomach flipped.

I stared at him.

"Are you serious?" I asked.

"I mean... yeah." He gave me that crooked, hopeful smile he used to use when he forgot to pay the water bill. "It makes sense, right? That's when shit started falling apart. After... y'know. The miscarriage. So maybe if we try again, maybe it all just—fixes."

His words, the memory of "the miscarriage"—which was so much worse than just a miscarriage—and the smell of stale beer hit me all at once. My stomach turned.

"You're drunk," I said flatly.

"I'm serious."

"No. You're drunk. And I'm not doing this with you right now."

He moved in closer, eyes glassy, lips parted. "C'mon, Angie baby..."

I shoved his face away with the palm of my hand.

"Go to bed, Gavin. Guest room. Now."

He stumbled slightly but didn't protest. Just nodded and turned toward the stairs, muttering something I couldn't hear.

I walked back out to the deck on autopilot.

Tina was holding up her phone like a weapon. "You had about thirty more seconds, bitch."

I let out a brittle laugh, the kind that didn't come from joy so much as pure exhaustion.

"What happened?" Bella asked, sitting up, eyes sharp. Tina silently handed me a fresh glass of sangria like communion.

I took it. Drank.

"He said we should try for a baby again."

Bella nearly spit out her wine. "What?!"

Tina stared. "Get the fuck out of here."

"Exactly." I took another sip, deeper this time. "I told him to go sleep it off. He's drunk. He probably won't even remember in the morning."