hing, "Sarah, wait..." but t

t to offer. He couldn't bring h

ettled over him as he wat

by the feeling, unable

ngs to be easy, li

ys passed in a

call. Michael

strangely emp

ed to feel

avorite snacks weren't in the pant

zed household Sarah ran

a. "Mommy Jess, can you

'd love to, but I'm so busy today. Ask your d

s. Flattery.

ed, finally con

When is she

Sarah used to hum when she cooked, the way

ion boiling over. "I don't know,

chael use. "I don't want her back anyway. She's boring and mean. Jessica

but this time, it was mi

sual dismissals, now twisted

had poisoned his own

gret began to for

ensing an opportunity

r, surrounded by laughing

tion was

rah. Looks like he needs someone to take c

ear: Michael was in tr

at the message

ing for Jessica

ck of response, sent anoth

ichael is a mess. If you care about your fam

cker of concern for Et

pulating her, but the tho

nd drove to the address, a trendy

a relic from Michael's "prev

, expensive perfume, and the

mpagne in front of him, a woman draped over his

nippets of

sulking at home." Michael's

he women slurred. "You ne

l was trying to impress, asked, "What abou

If she doesn't like it, she knows where

ong swig of

he's just a lapdog. She'll come crawling b

rah would have been sitting,

up, clearly uncomfortable, piped up, "But

silence fel

when he finally sp

Then she can roll. Plenty

t was a phy

round him

"Yeah, but was she good in bed,

aughter

th the familiar ache in he

ve, the disgust t

ed in front of her

littered w

ided to show up. Come to

e's moved on. You should leave. Wi