“Yes.”
His wife looked at him.
“You’ve decided already.”
“I’ve decided Teddy won’t be alone with you while we work out what happens next.”
“That’s outrageous.”
“You made access to me part of a reward system.”
“I was trying to create order.”
“You made him afraid of losing his father.”
“He has a tendency to exaggerate.”
Mara spoke quietly.
“He asked whether I needed points to attend his birthday.”
Lavinia’s mouth closed.
Sebastian continued.
“You’ll stay somewhere else tonight.”
“This is my home.”
“We can arrange the practical details with advice tomorrow. Tonight, we need space.”
He did not threaten her.
He did not reach for the reputation that usually ended arguments.
He offered the guest apartment in a separate building or a hotel.
She chose her father’s house.
Before leaving, she looked toward the stairs.
“I should explain to Teddy.”
“Not tonight.”
“He’ll think I’m a monster.”
Sebastian held her gaze.
“He’s eight. Managing what he thinks of you is not his responsibility.”
She left carrying a small overnight bag.
The front door closed quietly.
That quietness surprised him.
After everything that happened, some part of him expected the end of the evening to announce itself.
Instead, there was a kitchen to clean.
A cake to cover.
A child upstairs who might wake and need an answer.
Mara remained by the staircase.
“He can come home with me tomorrow if he wants.”
Sebastian nodded.
“I know.”
“He shouldn’t have to choose which parent needs him more.”
“I know.”
She looked at him for a moment.
Then she said, “I need you to do more than know.”
Morning brought pancakes and a question Sebastian had not prepared for.
Teddy came downstairs holding his rabbit.
“Did I get you divorced?”
Sebastian turned off the stove.
Mara, who had returned early, pulled out a chair.
“No,” Sebastian said.
“But Lavinia went.”
“She’s staying with her father while we make some adult decisions.”
