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A fact that ht be true, he told himself, but didn’t erase what she’d done

"Ethan, please" She gazed into his eyes "We have to work together Make this right for Tyler"

"I agree, but don’t expect ive you, Liz You played God with my life and my son’s life I hope there’s a special place in hell for you"

She flinched as if he’d hit her He didn’t care Instead he walked toward the sidewalk, stopping when he reached the gate "I’ll be back tos worse than they are"

And then he was gone

LIZ REACHED FOR HER COFFEE She usually tried to limit herself to one or two cups a day, but after a sleepless night, she had a feeling she was going to exceed her limit before noon

She’d been an idiot She accepted that What she really didn’t like was the reality that she’d been thoughtless and cruel--characteristics she would have clai shot--that she’d played God with both him and her son--had been a direct hit One she’d been unable to forget Guilt was powerful Despite the fact that she’d coo, he’d still lost the first six years of Tyler’s life

The time couldn’t be retted that But now everything orse Apparently Rayanne hadn’t told Ethan about Liz co to town at all There hadn’t been a second rejection, this time of both her and her son Not that it mattered Ethan obviously didn’t believe her Still, she would call Peggy and have the letter sent overnight An easy solution to only part of the problem If only she could explain away the first six years as easily

She heard footsteps on the stairs and got the erator She’d already put a couple boxes of cereal on the table, along with bowls and spoons

Melissa entered the kitchen first, her jeans and T-shirt clean fro before, her hair shiny and bouncy Sheherself to sirls

"Hi" Melissa moved to the table but didn’t sit down "You’re still here"

"Why wouldn’t I be?"

Melissa shrugged as she pulled out a chair "You didn’t sleep upstairs Inin the same bed as her brother and her mother before him had totally creeped her out Which wasn’t the point Obviously Melissa had gotten up to check on her

"Soht," she detailed, which was true but not the reason she’d chosen the sofa in the living roo downstairs seeht you’d left"

Melissa didn’t look at her as she spoke

Liz crossed to her and put her hand on the teenager’s shoulders "I’ to take a while for you to believe me, but you can trust oing to figure this out together You don’t have a cell phone, do you?"

Melissa shook her head

"We’ll get you one after school and prograet htened "I’d be able to call ht?"

"Yes"

"And text?"

Liz s as you promise to stop before your thumbs fall off"

"I can do that" The teen pulled a box of breakfast cereal toward her