I was going there to say goodbye.
But before I got the chance, the ballroom doors opened.
And the first person Ryan Cooper searched for was Ethan.
When I entered the reception that night, conversations gradually faded around me.
I had almost returned to the weight I had been before marriage.
The green dress fit again.
My hair was pinned up.
My makeup was simple.
I wore earrings I had bought with my first paycheck after graduation.
But my appearance wasn’t the biggest change.
For the first time in years, I entered a room without wondering what Ethan thought of me.
I was thinking about what I wanted.
The moment he saw me, he set down his drink and crossed the room.
“Claire…”
He reached for my wrist.
His eyes searched my face like someone had returned from the dead.
“I’ve missed you.”
He led me toward a quiet corner near the windows.
“Seeing you like this—seeing you back to yourself—makes me believe we can fix everything. Losing the baby destroyed us. But we can try again. We’ll have our family. You, me, and our child.”
Then Vanessa appeared.
Wineglass in hand.
Perfect smile in place.
“Mr. Bennett, everyone is waiting for the toast. You can’t spend the entire evening hiding with your little wife.”
Ethan walked away for a few minutes.
Vanessa stayed beside me.
Her eyes traveled slowly over my dress.
“Wow. You’ve obviously been putting a lot of effort into your appearance.”
“I’ve had time.”
“I suppose you needed to. Your beauty was always what attracted Ethan. But relationships require more than looks. Conversation. Work. Shared experiences.”
I smiled.
“Would you like to know what Ethan and I were discussing before you arrived?”
Her smile weakened.
Then Ethan returned.
“What are you two talking about?”
“Vanessa wants to know what you just told me.”
I turned toward her.
“Ethan just said he wants us to have a child and live together as a family.”
The color disappeared from Vanessa’s face.
“Is that true?”
