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“I think I did a good job.”

“It was great,” Madison says, but the way she says it you’d think she found a bug in her soup.

“Care to share what’s bugging you?” I ask, she’s been like this all weekend.

She lets out a deep exhale. “Friday night after we talked, I went to see Luke. I told him that we’re through.”

“What does that mean?”

“I told him not to call me anymore and that we can’t be friends if it’s stopping him from moving on.”

“What did he say?”

“He wasn’t happy. But I think in the end, he got the message.”

She looks so miserable, I can’t hold my tongue.

“If you hate the idea of being apart from him so much, why don’t you just get back together?”

“No. We got divorced for a reason, you know. We’re great when we’re apart, but being married and living together, it ruined the relationship. We’re just not good for each other.”

It doesn’t make sense to me. If you like somebody, you make an effort. But I don’t want to bring my baggage with Ethan to Madison. In fact, I’d rather not think about it at all, so I drop the subject.

Blake and Chase arrive. Chase has a big smile on his face. I breathe out slowly, letting the tension out. He’s happy, that’s all that matters.

We say goodbye to Madison, and she leaves.

“It’s time for bed,” I say, ruffling Chase’s hair.

Blake walks us back to our apartment, and when Chase goes inside, he gives me a quick goodnight kiss.

“Thank you for today,” I whisper as he pulls away. “Chase looked happy.”

“He had a good time.” He smiles fondly. “Of course, he spent half that time telling Ethan about the tournament.”

I laugh. I’m happy.

When Chase was little, Ethan and I would talk about him all the time, what he did, what he said, how adorable he was. But it’s been a long time since I’ve been able to share those things with someone. There’s only so much you can tell friends about your kid before they start looking bored.

It makes my hearts soar to think that I could talk about it with Blake. I imagine the two of us married, raising Chase, I even dare to think of another child. For the first time in a long time, my chest fills with hope.

“I love you,” I blurt out.

Blake’s answering smile radiates like the sun, and I can’t look away.

“I love you too, Ames.”

He pulls me into his chest, and I wrap my arms around his neck. He kisses me long and hard this time.

“Mommmm.” Chase’s voice travels from inside.

I pull away, regretfully.

“Go,” Blake says.

I give him one last peck on the cheek and go inside.

Chapter Thirty