He carried the groceries inside. I stood on the porch a moment longer, and I knew exactly what my next move would be.
“You lose too.”
That Friday evening, when Dana arrived to collect the twins, I put my suitcase beside their bags in her trunk.
“You can come now,” she said. “You don’t have to sit through dinner.”
Through the window, I could see Ryan arranging wineglasses.
She was offering everything she could. I wished it were enough to stop me being afraid.
“You can come now,”
I kissed both girls before Dana drove away.
Then I went inside to finish the meal.
Mr. Holloway arrived at seven carrying wine.
He shook Ryan’s hand, and Gerald clapped them both on the back.
“A man who puts family first,” Gerald announced over the roast. “This job means he can be here for his wife and daughters.”
“A man who puts family first,”
