Page 113 of What Started In Deception

“Where’s Will?”

Mac moved to put the dirty dishes into the dishwasher. “He headed into the office early.”

Lydia sighed quietly, not entirely sure what to say now. “I heard you last night,” she blurted out.

Mac stopped dead with a plate in her hand.

“I’m sorry that I did.” And she absolutely meant it. Listening in on other people’s private conversations wasn’t something that she did for fun.

Mac shrugged as she got back to work.

“How can I help you? What can I do?”

Mac shrugged again as she started to cry quietly. “I don’t know.”

Everly paused with her next bite of strawberry. “Mommy’s crying.”

Lydia nodded as she tucked Everly’s hair behind her ear, seeing that Everly was concerned. “It’s okay, honey. Sometimes, grown-ups have big feelings, just like kids do.”

“Big feelings like in the book that we read on the computer?”

Lydia nodded again. “Just like in the book that we read.”

Mac faced Everly, forcing a smile as she wiped at her cheeks. “I’m okay, Ev.”

“You can listen to music when you have big feelings, Mommy. It helps.”

Mac let loose a watery chuckle. “That’s a good idea. Do you want to listen to music on your Toniebox?”

Everly nodded. “I can do it,” she said as she reached forward to touch the ear on the little machine, making Disney music play through the speaker.

Lydia stood with Maverick, turning The Little Mermaid song up as she walked over to stand by Mac. “We can talk if you want, but we certainly don’t have to.”

Tears trailed down Mac’s cheeks again. “I’m just—I’m so tired and overwhelmed.”

Lydia nodded, letting Mac say whatever she needed to say.

“Everything feels like a lot right now. Maverick isn’t much of a sleeper, and Ev’s struggling with being a big sister.” She wiped at her tears again. “Although she did show him one of her toys and gave him a kiss on the cheek this morning while I was changing his diaper.”

Lydia smiled encouragingly as she swayed from side to side with the baby. “That’s a great thing.”

Mac nodded before she lost her composure again. “I feel like I’m failing at this whole parenting thing.”

“Oh, honey, no, you’re not.” Lydia took her hand off Maverick’s bottle long enough to slide her palm up and down Mac’s arm. “You’re a great mom.”

Mac shook her head. “It doesn’t feel like it. I’m trying to keep up with Ev’s therapies and give both kids the attention they need. Then there’s trying to keep up with everyday life…”

Lydia nodded. “That’s definitely a lot. I’m sorry that things are so hard.”

Mac shrugged. “I guess that’s just the way they are right now.”

“And Will? He’s not doing his part? Because that doesn’t sound like him at all.”

Mac jerked her shoulders again. “Things are really busy for him. I know the pressure’s on to keep his billable hours up with the whole partnership thing on the horizon.” She closed her eyes as more tears fell. “Then there’s the fact that I’m nearly certain that he’s stepping out on me.”

Lydia opened her mouth to tell Mac that her suspicions weren’t true, but she closed it again because she couldn’t. She cleared her throat instead, trying to find the right words as she navigated yet another half-truth conversation. “I don’t want you to think that I’m defending Will or dismissing you in any way, but I just can’t imagine him doing that to you. I’m not saying that something isn’t going on, but he loves you, honey. I know that to the depths of my soul.”

Mac wiped at another tear rolling down her cheek. “I don’t know what else it could be. He’s anxious all the time. His phone is always in his hand. He’s hiding something, and he’s not even good at it.”