Page 142 of Faultlines

Lucy ignores us both, her gaze fixed on me. “Are you considering it?”

I stare down at the counter. “I honestly don’t know.”

The admission surprises me; it speaks the truth. Quietly I say, “He isn’t asking me to forgive him or to come home. He told me he wants me to listen, not to make any choices regarding our marriage.”

Later that evening, after dinner and Ellie’s disappearance upstairs, I find my father in the barn, checking on a horse. I stand near the stall and watch him work. He notices me but says nothing. My father has always been good at recognizing when someone isn’t ready to talk. Eventually, he closes the stall door with a gentle click and turns toward me.

“Something’s bothering you.”

I smile faintly. “Am I that obvious?”

“You’ve been staring at that horse for five minutes.”

I lean against the rough wooden railing. “Ethan has been doing repairs at Juniper House.”

His eyebrows rise. “What repairs?”

“Apparently every repair they’ve needed for months.”

That earns a surprised laugh.

I tell him everything, the words tumbling out in a rush. When I finish, he is unusually silent. My father forms opinions quickly, but this time he seems to be lost in thought. A deep crease forms between his brows.

Finally, he nods. “That sounds like him.”

He brushes dust from his hands and leans against the stall, his gaze steady on mine.

“I remember Ethan’s father complaining once,” he says. “Said he’d grounded him for sneaking out, and the kid spent the whole weekend fixing their neighbor’s porch steps instead of sulking in his room. Never even asked for thanks. The old woman had mentioned they were unsteady in passing—Ethan just... filed it away.”

He grins. “Didn’t ask. Just showed up with lumber and tools. Nearly gave the poor woman a heart attack before she realized what he was doing.”

“He also asked me to go to counseling.”

“And?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t owe him reconciliation.”

“I know.”

“You don’t owe him forgiveness either.”

“I know.”

He places a comforting hand on my shoulder. “But after almost two and a half decades, I think you owe yourself clarity.”

“What if I’m not ready to make any major decisions yet?”

“Then gather all the information before you decide.”

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

FOUNDATION STABILIZATION

Ethan

Claire can have dinner with anyone she wants. I know that. The logic is sound, but it’s also completely useless. The image of Daniel Mercer smiling at my wife has lodged itself in my brain, replaying every time I try to think about something else.