I was standing in the kitchen, and Jake was sitting at the dining table with his laptop.
“Fine,” I answered. “Jake is getting ready for college.”
“Good. Is he behaving himself?”
I looked toward Jake.
He lowered his eyes.
“Of course,” I said.
Tom laughed.
“I knew I could count on you.”
The words felt like a knife turning slowly in my chest.
“Are you coming home tomorrow?” I asked.
“Actually, the meeting is going better than expected. I should be back by late afternoon.”
“That’s good.”
“Everything okay, sweetheart? You sound tired.”
“Just a long day.”
“Get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
When the call ended, I stood motionless with the phone in my hand.
Jake closed his laptop.
“I hate hearing him talk to you like everything is perfect.”
I turned sharply.
“You don’t get to decide what my marriage is like.”
“I know.”
“And you don’t get to turn what happened between us into a reason to judge him.”
