Pushing away, she broke away from his lips. “Don’t touch me!” she hissed quietly, not wanting to upset the kids. She couldn’t think straight when he touched her. His touch drugged her brain and the only thing she could think of was getting naked with him, and that was a problem because sex with him wouldn’t save their family. She removed his arms from around her and quickly entered her car. She started it then rolled down the windows.
“Bye, Daddy!” the boys called out.
“I love you guys,” Ethan told them before his gaze moved to her. The defeated look didn’t suit him at all. He looked so much older—weaker.
“I’ll call you at their bedtime,” she said to him, fiddling with the rearview mirror.
He nodded, tears settling in his eyes and an overwhelming sadness settling in her heart.
Before she even got to put the car in gear, he grabbed the door, stopping her. “Ethan!” she called out.
“Do you love me?” he asked, his voice panicked. Did she? Yes, her love hadn’t gone away. She loved him. Always would. But right now, she was so very angry at him and that was currently beating down the love so all she felt was burning anger.
“I do.”
“Say it. Please,” he begged, the tears spilling from his eyes.
“I love you, Ethan,” she spoke quietly and then backed her car out of the garage and made her way to Luke’s for the fourth time today.
“Mommy, why’s Daddy crying?” Rory asked, his eyes wide with sadness. She’d have to be careful with him. He picked up on other’s feelings way too easily.
“Because Daddy’s going to miss you guys. It makes him sad that he can’t come with us.”
“Why can’t he come with us?” Pierce asked.
“Because Daddy has some things to work on,” she answered truthfully.
“Where are we going?” Pierce asked instead of inquiring about his father.
“Uncle Luke’s!”
The boys cheered and grinned. They loved Luke and the feeling was mutual. She was amazed at how easily she was able to distract them from the fact that she was taking them away from their father.
As she pulled up the driveway, she saw Luke and Allie sitting on the front steps, her head resting on his shoulder, their hands joined in his lap.
“Mommy! I see Uncle Luke! There he is!” Pierce exclaiming, pointing out the window.
She parked and Luke and Allie went to either side of the car to let the boys out.
Her sons played in the yard with Luke and Allie while she got their bags and headed upstairs to her room. On the bed, she laid out the boys’ matching pajamas and their stuffed animals. Rory had a frog and Pierce had a pig. Then she headed downstairs where she heard Luke bribing her kids with ice cream.
“Yay! Ice cream!” the boys sang together.
She walked into the kitchen and spotted her sons at the table, smiles on their cute faces and she hoped they would not remember this time in their lives. She did not want them to have that experience hanging over them. Not like she had with her parents. She hoped to spare them that.
“I’d like some ice cream too,” she spoke, announcing her return, crossing the room to Luke who wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed the crown of her head. “Please?”
“What about dinner first? I kept a plate warm for you.”
“I’ll have dessert with my boys and then I’ll eat that dinner. I’m starving.”
They all sat around the table, eating their ice cream. Rory’s face was a mess and he knew it. He was giggling so hard. She looked up to share a knowing smile with Ethan and felt the breath rush right out of her when she realized he wasn’t there. That she may never share a moment like this with him again. Putting her spoon back in her bowl, she quickly excused herself and hurried to the bathroom and closed the door, letting the tears drown her broken heart.
Getting the boys to bed at their normal time was near impossible but with the help of Luke wrangling the boys upstairs, Mia was able to get them dressed and in bed just fifteen minutes late. The boys snuggled in the middle of the bed, their stuffed animals held tightly in their arms. She sat on the bed next to them, lightly ruffling their hair before she spoke.
“Okay. Time to call Daddy,” she said to force herself to do so. She wouldn’t let her sons down.