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“I need some air. I’m going to stay at my place tonight, spend some time with my mother, and make sure she is doing okay. I’ll be back in the morning to look after Sophie. In fact, I think it might be best that I commute until you find someone,” I said, moving toward the back door where my keys were hanging.

“Ember, please don’t leave.”

Ignoring him, I was about to walk past him to grab my keys, but he stepped in front of me, stopping me. His eyes were dark, and immediately he cupped my jaw with his hand, tilting my face up so I had no choice but to look at him. His thumb traced my cheekbone.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean what I said. I don’t know what came over me tonight; I’m terrified about my feelings for you. No one has made me feel this way since Rebecca.”

“Well, Everett, I’m sorry as well, but I can’t stay and work for someone or be in any type of relationship with someone who thinks those things about me,” I said, taking my keys from the hook on the wall.

He grabbed my hand as I turned to make my way to the front door, stopping me.

“Ember, I don’t think that about you. I misspoke. I am sorry. Please, forgive me.”

I looked at him. His eyes said it all. In that moment, I knew he was telling me the truth. I was about to say something when he leaned in and kissed me deep and desperately, pushing me against the counter. I grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him closer. My duffel bag slid down my other arm and fell to the ground at my feet.

“I’m begging you, please don’t leave us. Please. You won’t only break Sophie if you leave, but you’re going to break me too, and I don’t think I can handle it. Actually, I know I can’t.”

I pressed my lips against his, tears finally falling down my cheeks.

“I don’t want to leave either. I love it here. I love Sophie and I…”

“Tell me, Ember, you what?”

I looked up at him, my cheeks heating as our eyes met.

“I…I love you, Everett.”

He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into him. He pressed his lips to mine, devouring my mouth, and then backed away.

“I know you said you wanted a night away, but please don’t leave. Stay here. Stay the night with me in my bed until morning.”

I stayed with him until the sun rose, then I went back into my room to get ready for the day. Our stolen moments seemed to multiply after our first heated disagreement. His study became our place once Sophie was tucked into bed at night. I’d write while he worked. Sometimes he’d join me on the couch in his office, rubbing my feet while he read over business documents, and eventually one of us would close out laptops and reach for the other.

Sophie and I started planning the party as well. We had little time to put things together. Everett gave me a small budget to work within, and he never said another word about it. We were only seven days away from Halloween, Sophie and I had sent out some invites by email to her Grammy and Pop-pop and to Ms. Shelly at the Book Nook, and a few of the kids Sophie had met at the park we’d been going to. Then we put the finishing touches on some decorations, and now she was sitting down at the kitchen table working on a math notebook while I was busy getting dinner ready when the doorbell rang. I glanced at the clock, frowning as I wiped my hands on a cloth.

“You keep working. “I’ll be right back,” I said, heading to the front door.

I pulled the door open to see Margaret and Richard standing on the front porch.

“Hello! Margaret, Richard, it’s so nice to see you both again. Come on in, Sophie is going to be so surprised,” I said.

Margaret looked past me into the house, and then her eyes landed on the fall wreath that hung on the door, which hadn’t been there when they were here last time. She looked at me and then she looked down at my apron, then down to my bare feet on the hardwood floor.

“Where is Sophie?””

Just then I heard Sophie shout behind me, “Grammy! Pop-pop!” She launched herself past me and at them, running right into their arms.

“My baby,” she whispered into Sophie’s hair. “Oh, my baby girl. How I missed you.”

I heard a noise behind me and turned to see Everett standing in the doorway behind me. He looked at them with a careful and controlled expression.

“Margaret, Richard, I didn’t know you were coming.”

“That’s because we wanted to surprise Sophie.” Margaret said.

“I see. Well, you should have called to make sure we were going to be home.”

“Then it wouldn’t have been a surprise, would it, Sophie?” Richard said.