Marcus nodded as though this were acceptable.
"Okay."
Then he disappeared inside.
Emily sat beside Daniel.
For a while, neither spoke.
Finally Daniel said, "He calls my mother Grandma."
Emily nodded.
"She told him to."
Daniel rubbed his hands together.
"Does he think I'm his father now?"
"No."
"What does he think I am?"
"He doesn't know."
Daniel gave a faint smile.
"Neither do I."
Emily looked toward the yard.
"I'm sorry."
Daniel sighed.
"I know."
"No. I don't think I've actually said it properly."
He looked at her.
Emily's voice shook.
"I betrayed you."
Daniel did not interrupt.
"I didn't cheat. I didn't stop loving you. But I made a decision that belonged to both of us."
She wiped her eyes.
"And then every day that I didn't tell you made it harder to tell you the next day."
Daniel stared at the wet street.
"I thought you'd hate me."
"I don't."
"I thought you'd leave."
"I might."
Emily flinched.
Daniel continued.
"I don't know yet."
She nodded.
"That's fair."
"Did you ever plan to ask me?"
"Yes."
"When?"
Emily looked at him.
"When there was still time."
"What does that mean?"
"Tiana first asked months before she died. I wanted to wait until you came home."
Emily took a breath.
"Then the doctors told her she had weeks."
Daniel listened.
"The court needed someone immediately. Marcus was sleeping in my guest room before I'd even understood what I'd done."
"And the adoption?"
"That took months."
"So you had months to tell me."
"Yes."
Daniel's jaw tightened.
Emily nodded.
"That's the part I have no excuse for."
Daniel looked at her.
"Why didn't you?"
Emily's eyes filled.
"Because by then I loved him."
Daniel frowned.
"I knew if you said no, I'd have to choose."
The sentence landed heavily.
"Between your husband and him."
Emily whispered, "Yes."
"And you were afraid you'd choose him."
She did not answer.
She did not need to.
Daniel stood.
Emily stood too.
He looked at the house.
"Our marriage may be over."
Emily closed her eyes.