Ryan looked down.
“You tell her about the job. The credit cards. The coffee shop. Every interview. Every lie. And you tell her exactly why you walked out of that hospital room.”
He was crying openly now.
“I don’t know if I can.”
“Then I’ll do it.”
His head snapped up.
I picked up my keys.
“You have one chance to tell your wife the truth yourself.”
He stared at me for a long time.
Finally, he nodded.
“Okay.”
“I’m coming with you.”
For illustrative purposes only
Part 6 — Melissa Learns the Truth
That evening, I carried Hope up the walkway toward Ryan and Melissa’s house.
I had imagined walking toward that house with the baby dozens of times during my pregnancy.
In every version, it had been joyful.
There would be balloons.
Pictures.
Family.
Maybe tears.
But happy tears.
Instead, I walked toward the front door with a knot in my stomach.
