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They didn’t e that The best thing she could do for her own sanity was reement It was a job One that would pay for her trip to Australia andelse would just lead to heartbreak Even if there was a baby, that couldn’t be the cornerstone to a lasting relationship Shedown the sa that her mom and dad loved each other Really loved each other She wouldn’t settle for anything less and she wasn’t cruel enough to raise a child in an environment where its mom and dad didn’t have that

“Morning,” Sawyer said, crossing to the kitchen island and setting everything down on it “Please tell ht you how to make pancakes”

Despite her black hed “He did”

“Thank God” Sainked at her as he startedto the directions on the box “I was gonna feel really bad if I helped your mom burn down the house”

Some of the tension ebbed out of her shoulders Whatever else happened, Saasn’t going to let this be aard—at least not at her parents’ house Later they’d deal with it, but for now they were just two people pretending that everything was as it seerabbed a spatula froether, they just ht carry it off

“Morning, pu and a surreptitious look at the ingredients Sawyer had gathered and hoas ether

She squeezed her dad as tight as she dared “I thought ere picking you up in an hour?”

“Well I—”

“Bullied the doctor into letting hi,” Laura cut in “The damn fool took a taxi home”

“Don’t listen to a word she says,” her dad said, looking every bit like so it anyway “Dr Thornson was totally on board with the plan”

Leaning into his arms, she inhaled the familiar scent of his aftershave and offered up a silent prayer of thanks for solad you’re okay, Dad”

“Me, too, puave her a kiss on the top of her head and then wandered out of the kitchen to the worn chair in the living room that he refused to let her mom take to the county landfill

And so things settled into a co the paper while her mom set the table and she and Sawyer made the pancakes It was the kind of domestic scene that would normally make her feet itch, but today it didn’t—and she refused to question why

Half an hour later, the syrup had barely been poured on top of her pancakes before her mom went into inquisition mode

“So this all happened pretty fast,” herthe three pancakes, hash browns, Canadian bacon, regular bacon, and berry assortotta tell you, Clover, your dad and I were very surprised e heard secondhand about the engage my calls since then and it has us worried”