Page 113 of Tempt

“Daniel. What a surprise. Is Andy with you?”

Mary opens the door wearing an apron.

“Not today.”

I follow her down the hall and into the kitchen.

“I made muffins. Would you like one?”

Mary puts one on a plate and we sit in her living room.

“Thank you for being there for Andy.” I shift back on the couch. “What you saw in the hallway at the hospital—”

“Let me guess. It’s not what I thought?” She tilts her head.

“It’s exactly what you thought,” I say, and her brows lift. “I hired Kat as our nanny because I wanted to give Andy everything. I felt I should, and out of denial that our life was somehow less these past few years.

“Kat changed us. She changed Andy, and she changed me, and I’m grateful for that. She’s helped me see that I’m ready to have someone in my life again.”

Mary shifts in her seat. “If we caused you unnecessary suffering, I’m sorry. We never wanted you to be unhappy. In difficult times, we look for someone to blame. We blamed you,” she says simply. “You’re a wonderful father, Daniel. Seeing you at the hospital was one more reminder of that truth. We don’t want past differences to keep us from spending time with the ones we love. We want to be part of Andy’s life.”

She rises from her seat, crossing to the windowsill and turning the houseplants there.

“Perhaps you’d like to pick him up after school a couple of days a week? Keep him for supper and bring him home after?”

Her eyes brighten. “We’d love that.”

She walks me to the door. “You know, your nanny was there all night at the hospital, curled up in that chair.”

My chest swells.

“I’m not surprised.”

Back home, I put the ring that’s been sitting on my nightstand in a box in the back of my dresser.

This time for good.

34

KAT

“Who would like to start today?” Professor Trainor asks at group.

By the start time, all the seats were full. I had to grab an extra one and wedge in just outside the normal circle. Apparently, November is a big month for grief.

Since my professor said she wouldn’t support me, I’ve stared at my statement for hours. Rewrote parts of it with made up things I thought she’d want to hear.

But in the end, I didn’t turn any of it in.

One woman rises from her seat to share details of her husband’s health issues and recovery. “Since it’s almost Thanksgiving, I wanted to say that I thought I could do it without this group. But I’m grateful you’re all here.”

A man follows.

Then Rana, the girl from the first session of the year, stands up.

“My dad is doing really well. And while I can’t credit that to you all,” she smiles, “you have made it possible for me to be there for him.”

Her eyes land on me.

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