The Atonement (The Arrangement, #3)(23)

When an hour had passed and the large lump in the bed that was my oldest son rose and fell with steady breaths, telling me he was asleep, I picked up my phone.

She answered on the first ring, as if she’d been expecting my call. Maybe she had. She always seemed to sense when I needed her.

“Hey, love. Whatcha up to?”

“Oh, you know…” Just the sound of Glennon’s voice put me at ease. “Just sitting here watching TV.”

“Anything good?”

“Not really. What are you up to?”

“I was reading the new Brené Brown book. Have you read it yet? Life changing.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

“Everything okay? You sound sad.”

“Hm? Oh, yeah, I’m fine. I just… I need a favor.”

“Okay. What’s going on?”

I cleared my throat. “I, um, well… Where are you right now?”

“We’re in Boulder for the next three and a half weeks, why? Is everything okay?”

Try as I might, I couldn’t decide how to bring it up. Saying the words aloud made them real, and I desperately didn’t want them to be real. “I was hoping that you might be down for some visitors.”

“What? Seriously? Of course I am. Always. That would be amazing. We are talking about you guys, right?” She laughed. “I should probably clarify before getting ahead of myself.”

“It would just be the kids. I can get them a plane ticket to Denver first thing in the morning. I need them to stay with you for a few days. Is that okay?”

She hesitated. “Of course it’s okay, but…is something going on? Haven’t they started school?”

“I convinced the school to give them extra time off around fall break for an educational trip. They just have to turn in papers about it. We went to a museum and an aquarium in Florida.”

“You were in Florida? Are you in Florida now?”

“No, we’re…actually, we’re at a hotel in Nashville.”

“Oooh, a hotel? Fun. A little staycation or something? Are you and Peter getting some alone time?”

I sucked in a sharp breath, tucking my shaking hand under my leg. “Actually, Peter and I are splitting up.”

“Oh, babe… I’m—gosh, I’m so sorry. I know you’d been having problems before, but I really thought you seemed better.”

“We were. We were better until we became worse. And now—” I stood, turning to face the window if only so I didn’t have to look at my children as I said it. “Now, I don’t see a way forward. He’s… He’s lied to me, Glennon. For so long—”

“About what? About Seth?” She was moving around on her end—the gentle swish of air into the microphone enough to tell me she was trying to get away from present company.

“No. No, it’s not about Seth. It’s about, well, everything. There’s so much I haven’t told you lately, and I can’t get into it right now, not over the phone.” Glancing over my shoulder at my children, I lowered my voice again. “I just need you to take the kids so I can be sure they’re safe and taken care of.”

She was serious then, her voice low. “Of course. Babe, whatever I can do, just name it.”

“If I put them on a flight to Denver, you’ll pick them up?”

“Of course,” she assured me again. “But…won’t you come, too? It sounds like you could use—”

“I can’t. Not yet. I promise I will. And I promise I’ll explain everything as soon as I can. Right now, though, I have things I still need to take care of here.”

She released a long breath. “You swear to me you’re not going to do anything stupid or dangerous, right?”

“You know me better than that.”

A beat passed, both of us silent, and then she said, somewhat begrudgingly, “I never should’ve left you for this long. I told Seth you still needed me.”

“Glennon, no. This isn’t your fault. I’m a big girl, okay? I can handle myself. Everything’s going to be fine, I promise you.”

I heard a man’s voice in the background say something soft and low. Her hand swiped across the speaker as she responded. “Be right there.”

“That doesn’t sound like Seth.”

When she returned to our conversation, she said, “It wasn’t. I’m…on a date.”

“You what? You’re on a date? What are you doing talking to me?” My jaw dropped.

“Stop,” she said firmly, without time or patience for my nonsense. “Family first, babe. And you’re family.”

“I’m sorry…” I whispered, but sorry for what, I still wasn’t sure. Tears stung my eyes, the weight of the apology hanging in the air.

“There’s no reason to be.”

I swiped a tear from my cheek, steadying my voice before I spoke again. “I’ll, uh, I’ll get the flight information sent over to you. And I’ll call you in the morning to set it all up, okay?”

“Okay.” Her tone was soft as she waited for me to say more, but I couldn’t.

“Now, go enjoy the rest of your date. I’ll be fine, I promise. I am fine.”