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“Shter’s forehead “Do you wantout the chips and dip?”

“Let’s eat inside After last night’s rain, the ht vicious”

“I’ll set the dining table” She gestures to our four-year-old son, Jack—na in the moss below his tree fort “Make sure he lets that poor creature go before he comes inside”

“On it” I whistle “Jack, dinner time”

He co the s and air holes Today, he’s caught hi toad

“Yourthe table,” I tell hio”

“Can’t he sleep over?” Jack asks, frowning

“Afraid not He’s probably got a faet home to”

Jack sighs and crouches by the edge of the porch He unscrews the lid and upturns the jar The toad lands on his feet, then hops off into the bushes

Jack stands up and waves

“Bye!” he yells At first, I think he’s waving goodbye to the toad Then I follow his line of sight to the tree fort

I’ve stopped pretending that I don’t see Norah’s father out here in the woods Our son sees hiether

I rill to burn off the srate Jack and I head inside, delivering thethe dips Jack doles out the napkins and forks, just like his ht him By the time we sit down to eat, it’s time for Norah to feed Thalia

I hand feed et cold as the baby suckles her breast Watching the two of thee, I can’t help but s, Nora told me she didn’t think she’d ever have a life like this A co husband who adores her

It’s been ive her the life she didn’t dare dream of