Page 29 of The Awakening of Nina Fontaine

“Divorce, midlife crisis.” She laughed, then took a deep breath, a little startled by her own honesty. “I don’t knowactually.”

He lifted his eyebrows. “You don’tknow?”

He didn’t believe her. He was being polite, but he was pressing her to answer questions she’d so far avoided, and she wondered how someone she’d just met could have that kind of insight abouther.

She folded the napkin in her lap, then opened it again while she considered theanswer.

“There are things they don’t tell you,” shesaid.

“Likewhat?”

She was almost uncomfortable from the focus with which he studied her, the intensity of hisquestion.

Like he really wanted to know. Like he couldn’t wait for theanswer.

How long had it been since a man had really wanted to know something about her? Since a man had waited for her to answer a question while looking at her face instead of flipping through the mail or checking hisphone?

“Like… it’s hard.” She shook her head, immediately recognizing it for the cop-out it was. “Once the dust settles from the wedding, you start…building.”

“Building?”

She nodded. “You have to build the facade — the house, the furniture, the couples dinners on the weekend. It’s expected. It’s what you do. And when you’re done with that, when everything’s perfect and you’ve waited the recommended two years to enjoy being newlyweds, you start trying to havekids.”

She paused and took a drink ofwater.

“Go on,” hesaid.

“This doesn’t seem like great dinner conversation.” She’d almost said “first date” conversation, then caught herself in case she waswrong.

“What’s great dinner conversation?” Liam asked. “The weather? The Mets or Yankees or whoever else sports people like towatch?”

“Sportspeople?”

He laughed. “It’s not mything."

“Mine either,” shesaid.

“Good. Keepgoing.”

“So you start trying to have kids, and that’s where the pathsdiverge.”

“What paths?” heasked.

“Some people have children. Others don’t. And if you don’t… well, you’re kind ofstranded.”

She looked up as the waiter returned, his hands full of appetizers Liam had ordered. She hoped the relief wasn’t evident on her face, that maybe now they could get sidetracked by thefood.

“Try this,” Liam said, pointing to one of the plates loaded with something that looked like mini-tacos, but with fluffiershells.

She reached for one and lifted it to her mouth as Liam did the same. The flavor exploded on her tongue — sausage and potato and chili powder and cayenne and something she could have sworn wascinnamon.

“Hmm…” she said, touching the corner of her mouth where she felt like something might be dripping. “Delicious.”

“Right?” He unselfconsciously stuffed the rest of the food in his hand into his mouth, then wiped his hand on his napkin. “They serve them off little carts in Mexico City, but these are almost asgood.”

“You must travel a lot,” shesaid.

He grinned. “Nicetry.”

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