Page 43 of Seven of Hearts

I shrugged. “You raised me better than that.”

“Was it consensual?” she prodded.

“Yeah.”

“And you used protection and it failed?”

I nodded again.

Kristin laid her hand on my knee. “Life has a margin of error, Logan. Nothing is ever foolproof. No plan is ever perfect, no matter how hard we try. Don’t beat yourself up about it. What happens now is you chart a new course. Set your heading and go at it like you’ve gone at everything else.”

“You sound like Will,” I muttered.

She laughed under her breath. “I take it you’ve already told him?”

I tilted my head and looked at her. “You’re not mad he kept it from you?”

Kristin just shook her head. “When Will and I started seeing each other, it took me a while to get comfortable with the idea of him coming around you kids. I never wanted to bring someone into the house who would do you all harm. Especially Kylie, Hunter, and Zoey. They were so young.”

I stared at the wood slats under my feet as crickets chirped a gentle song. I had never really thought about Will coming into our lives like that. How scary it must have been for Kristin to trust him around us kids, especially alone.

“When things settled down and I knew what we had was a forever kind of love, Will and I had a lot of talks about what his relationship with you all would look like. I knew that you needed an adult in your life that wasn’t me.” She laughed. “Someone to talk to about all the things you don’t want to share with your sister. Part of that meant that Will had to prove to you all that he was trustworthy. He and I agreed that he would keep whatever you told him in confidence as long as those secrets didn’t cause harm to you or anyone else.”

My throat felt like it was stuffed with sand and cotton as I thought back on the early conversations I’d had with Will while he helped me with math homework and college applications. It was never big stuff at first, just little grievances I had about the people around me. Eventually, we’d sit on the dock and talk about the big stuff.

Kristin was right. I had needed him just as much as I needed her.

“I knew you had something on your heart when you disappeared from your party and then came back this weekend,” Kristin said. “You were visiting Leah?”

I nodded. “Kylie doesn’t know yet.”

“Then I’ll keep this to myself.” A pensive smile painted her lips. “How’s Leah doing?”

I thought back to how brave she had been to extend an olive branch with her family, then walk out of a toxic ambush. “She’s gonna be a good mom.”

“And you? How are you doing, Dad?”

I just shook my head. “I just hope I’m not like ours.”

13

LEAH

Mondays were chaos. I loved tackling the beginning of the week and making sense of all the things that needed to get done. It was a mountain I always anticipated climbing. Or at least I used to.

That was before there was a baby the size of an apple inside of me, sapping every ounce of my energy straight out of my body.

I needed more caffeine than ever, and I couldn’t have it.

At least I had stolen a catnap while Gio and Ellie were at school. That would have to get me through until I got off work.

The front door opened, and peals of “Mom! Dad!” echoed through the DeRossi house as Isaac and Hannah Jane Lawson came over to pick up Ellie, and Luca and Maddie DeRossi came home.

Right on time. Thank heavens.

Hopefully, this conversation would be as quick and painless as possible.

“Leah? Are you upstairs?” Maddie shouted.

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