ssa

itation he was trying to suppress. He followed me out of the

ense of patience evaporated. "

asked, my voice a

e attending a funeral. You' re cold to Joshua, and y

his hips. He was no longer the concerned

sting flimsy and pathetic on my tongue. "

peared at the bridge of his nose. It was a micro-expression, one I would have missed be

he said, his tone clipped. "Go home. Take a long sh

I thought his comments like these-his suggestions that I use a special soap, that I keep my work cloth

rms. He was embarrassed by me. He was ashamed of

m sorry," he said, reaching for me. "I didn' t mean it like that. I' m just worried about you. And yo

in my life and steal my son? The injustice of it was so immense, it felt like a p

e that this was all a terrible misun

to his wrist.

asked, my voice

nfused. "Whe

on his empty wrist. "The one I gav

beautiful, classic timepiece, nothing too flashy, but elegant. It had cost me nearly three thousand dollars-a fortune for me. It was

It' s... it' s at the jeweler. Getting cleaned

th, so practiced. B

verflowing dumpsters of a high-end apartment building, I saw a familiar box. It was the watch box. And inside, nestled among

o be cleaned. He had

to give him a piece of luxury, into the garbage like it w

have realized his lie wasn' t working.

stepped forward, trying to pull me into a hug. "I was going to tell you.

s chest and gently, but

never once denied him physical affection. I was always t

slightly agape. For a momen

d could conjure for my behavior. The possibility that I knew the truth was so far outside his realm

, his voice regaining its

that his little problem had been managed. Confident t

ere would be no

-