and I told him what Martha had said at book club. He didn’t always ask about me first, but he began leaving room for an answer. I didn’t interpret a pleasant call as proof the old pattern could never return. I paid attention to whether he asked before making plans that involved me.
Once he mentioned that the nanny couldn’t stay late on a particular day. I waited while he explained how he and Claire were dividing the pickups. He didn’t turn the account into a request. Afterward I told
