That was the one thing I knew how to do.
I missed things too.
A cousin’s wedding in the fictional city of Evermere because Carys developed the flu.
A fishing trip I had promised myself for ten years.
Promotions that required relocating away from Bramblewick.
And Seraphine.
Seraphine was the woman I loved.
She worked at the bakery across from Finch & Nail Hardware.
We met when the girls were seven.
For six years, she joined us for dinners, birthdays, and school plays.
She loved the triplets, but she also wanted a life that belonged partly to her.
One evening, she stood at my front door holding the sweater she had worn during dinner.
“I’m not asking you to choose between me and the girls,” she said.
“I know.”
“I’m asking whether there is room for me here.”
I looked toward the kitchen.
Three lunchboxes waited on the counter.
Permission slips lay beside the sink.
Carys had a fever.
Liora needed help with a project.
Maisie had fallen asleep on the couch after arguing with me.
“There isn’t,” I said.
Seraphine’s face changed.
“Not the kind of room you deserve.”
She nodded slowly.
“I thought that might be your answer.”
She left a green sweater behind.
