At exactly 11:47 on Christmas Eve, my husband accidentally sent me a photograph of himself in a hotel bed with his mistress while I was home alone caring for our two feverish babies.

the house, Lily laughed.

Cole looked toward her voice.

“I thought providing everything meant I was a good husband.”

“You weren’t providing everything.”

“I know that now.”

“You were controlling access to everything.”

“I know.”

I’d once imagined those words would heal something.

They didn’t.

Perhaps because healing had already happened without them.

Cole looked at me.

“I used to think your money was the thing that made you impossible to leave.”

I frowned.

“What?”

He laughed without humor.

“That’s not the right way to say it.”

“Probably not.”

“I