The Unwanted Wife's Genius Comeback

nne

m h

g greeting, and I'd flown all the way from Boston toda

ving room caught the words i

vy wood of the apartment doo

t my ribs, a chaotic rhythm of lon

rlisle - hockey roya

ce was a permanent fixture on t

ind of player fans called a "wall," the kind t

n the sofa, a soft smile I ra

wasn't on

xed on th

s giggling as she tried to balance

wasn't

nd my stepsister, knelt beside her, her perfectl

" Blake said, his voice laced with a warmth I'd been

cted the two of them, a

of the entryway, an i

it, and I, the woman of the house

he handle of

finally drew th

oked up

anished fro

d, the word flat

er cashmere sweater and blond waves. She offered me a flawless

es finally

d instantly, replaced by the

a sing

ey

welcome for my cro

inguishing the las

mile onto my face.

from Boston - a limited-edition musical snow globe from Atelier No. 9 in Beacon Hill, only 100 made,

rought you

"I don't want it now. Dayna and I are

up a crayon drawing and held it up to Dayn

ir, then dropped awk

ze on me, a mixture of

, but his attention was already on his tablet on the ar

t even n

one in particular. "They we

oward the bedroom, my

shut, sealing off the sound of the

ase and looked at

r face lighting u

I'd waited th

t it, it just

d to the affection Day

ing at the pale, tired

in her eye

mportant day,

ld do somethin

out, Dayna was gett

a professionally warm goodbye. "Blake, I'll hea

clung to her leg.

. "Be good, sweetie. I'll

a silent understanding

he door, his voice low. "Drive

ern I had never

eavy silence fell o

thread. "Blake, I thought... I thought we were goin

row furrowed. He didn't look up. "Can't tonight. Coaches

o apology i

ust a fact, an inconvenie

the old scar above his eyebrow that se

eariness was

rely hear it myself. It trembled. "I just...

ooked up fro

annoyance, then genuine confusion, a

moment,

forgo

n that today wa

didn'