ALECTHERESA HAD GONE BACK HOME ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON AS PLANNED,and I hadn’t complained. I loved my daughter and wanted what was best for her. I just didn’t know if I could be that. So, I did what I did whenever I got worried…I scheduled the hell out of everything.I set aside blocks of time for taking Evanne to school and picking her up, then made sure that I had Tuesday on the pick-up list in case I got caught in a meeting and couldn’t make it myself. But I didn’t plan on that happening often because I was changing how and where I worked too. During school hours, I’d work in the o ce, and after school hours, I’d work from home.I put together a meal plan, budgeted for Tuesday to go on weekly grocery runs, and made calendar alerts for Evanne- related events, such as birthday parties or holidays or school trips. If any surprises happened, my assistant knew she had to be on call to help. I’d been a little worried that adding all of these personal errands would bother her, b

ALECI’D WAFFLED  ON  WHETHER  OR  NOT  TO  HIRE  A  REGULAR  BABYSITTER  FOREvanne but hadn’t yet made up my mind when it was time for my meeting with the infamous Ms. Browne, so I decided to keep her with me for the meeting. It wasn’t like we’d be discussing anything Evanne couldn’t hear.After I picked her up from school, we went for a quick bite to eat at a sandwich shop around the corner, and Evanne told me about her day. She was ecstatic for me to meet  Ms. Browne, convinced that this was going to be, in her words, “The best day ever.”I had to admit, I was a little nervous. While I was generally good with face-to-face meetings, schools had always made me a little…off-kilter.Not that Evanne had the same problem. The way she kept havering on about her day was evidence of that. She didn’t take after me when it came to talking either, that much was for certain. I’d always been the quiet one, taking my time to say anyth

ALECSEVEN WAS LATE FOR US TO BE EATING DINNER, BUT I’D WANTED Alittle extra time to wrap my head around what had happened this afternoon. Namely, the fact that the woman I hadn’t been able to get out of my mind would soon be sitting in my dining room.And that it was my daughter who’d invited her here.The enthusiasm with which Evanne was looking forward to ‘Ms. Browne’ coming for dinner should have worried me, but I was simply thankful for how well Evanne was adjusting. Keli had always told me that Evanne was doing well in school, since the extent of my involvement in that particular part of her education had been going to her extra-curricular activities and paying the tuition.I hadn’t even blinked when Keli had told me she wanted to move Evanne from the school she’d been attending before. Maybe if I’d paid attention, I would’ve wondered why Keli had chosen a new school so close to my place.

ALECWHEN  I  WOKE   UP   IN   THE   MORNING, LUMEN  WAS   GONE, BUT   THATwasn’t the first thing I registered. No, the first thought that popped into my head was a question. Namely, why was I naked?I never slept in the nude, not even before  Evanne  was born, but since then, I’d started wearing shorts or lounge pants instead of just underwear. Last night, however, I’d completely skipped the step of putting on my pajamas.And then I remembered why.I’d slept with Evanne’s teacher. Again.Before, I’d had the excuse that I hadn’t known who she was. This time, I’d done it with full knowledge and my daughter in the house. I hadn’t planned on it, which was the only reason I didn’t feel like a complete scumbag.I rolled onto my back and sighed. I didn’t have long before Evanne would be up, if she wasn’t already, and I needed to take a shower. I smelled like Lumen and sex. Not the sort of way I wanted to greet my

ALEC“WHAT’S WRONG, LASS?” I ASKED, FIGHTING  THE  URGE  TO  TAKE  HERin my arms, to protect her from whatever had upset her. I couldn’t, for any number of reasons, and I hated every single one of them. “Did something happen?”“No,” she said, watching Evanne skip down the hall to the classroom. “I’m fine.”I wouldn’t have believed her even if she hadn’t been actively avoiding looking at me. Still, I had no right to pressure her to tell me anything. She didn’t owe me an explanation, and I wasn’t her boyfriend, father, brother, husband. Hell, I wasn’t even sure I could consider us friends.Evanne bounced out of the room, swinging her lunchbox. “Got it!” she announced happily.Now, I was torn. I didn’t want to leave Lumen in this state, but I didn’t have the right to prod her about what was wrong. What I could do, however, was offer her a ride.“Since we’re here,” I said, stu ng my hands into my pockets so I