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"And your parents?" I wanted to punch her ex, but I was glad his parents had stepped up At least she wasn't completely alone

"They were both still working when the kids were babies, and they lived over an hour away in Boston, but they helped as e They'd set aside , for someday when I was ready Instead, they took the cash and put a down payalow The first two years they paid ht on their end Without our parents, I don't think I would have e or been accepted to grad school"

"You went to grad school where you teach now?" It was a guess since she talked about the house like they were still living there

"That wasn't the plan, but you kno plans go Forget about Italy or applying to a ram At that point, I didn't care I was head over heels for Thatcher, even if I was starting to have e only has a few departrarad They also offered me an on-campus job that came with childcare, so it was a no-brainer I workedThatcher to school with ave up on finishing his own degree"

"Why did you stay with hiht, and Scarlett wasn't a woood-looking, but still…

She let out a huff of breath that pushed her hair from her face "I don't know Mostly, those first few years, I was just exhausted and trying to keep my head above water, even with all the help froot a job as an assistant professor Thatcher was about to start preschool, and I started thinking about ot run down in the winter and caught a sinus infection The antibiotics ust"

She glanced over and caught the look of pity on my face With a sweet smile, she shook her head

"I know you're thinking I'm nuts and this all sounds like a train wreck, but both ret staying with Elliott long enough to have August If I'd left earlier, I wouldn't have uy, and he's the best"

"He's pretty aweso He was a cool little kid, and the bond between the two of them was clear to anyone who spent time with them If there'd been a way to have the kid without his jackass of a dad, though… that would have been a lot better for Scarlett

"Elliottpoker and turned off his phone Onpoint Then Elliott was so happy about the baby, and he offered to stay hoive it onewith a headset on while August cried because his diaper was soaked and Thatcher was puking fro sips of his dad's rum and Coke He was five That was it I was done"

"He let a five-year-old drink his rum and coke? Poor kid"

"The worst part is, he never even noticed Just —slapped his headset on and didn't give another thought to the kids I was afraid Elliott's parents would be angry when I left him By then, I was as close to them as my own mom and dad—but when I told them what happened, it was the last straw for them, too They helped -ar for part of the house or my car, which was all ned between us"

"That's good, at least He could have gone for custody or support since you were the one working"

Scarlett laughed, this one tinged with the bitterness I'd expected earlier "He threatened to I'll never knohat Connie and Bill said to hio In return, I've never kept him from the kids Never said a bad word about hiht have to holdto undo all that maturity and kill him in front of Thatcher"