The Husband Hour(100)

That’s all a husband is. Just a man. Flawed. Infinitely fallible. The only way marriage works is to forgive and move on.

“I wasn’t angry at you for losing the house,” she said. “I was hurt to be shut out of the decision-making.”

“I know.” He nodded. “Believe it or not, I was trying to spare you the worry.”

“Why didn’t you just say that in the first place?”

He shrugged. “Pride?”

“Oh, Howard.”

He kissed her again, and she threw her arms around his neck. He pulled away just long enough to get the wine and hand her a glass.

“A quick toast. To you, Beth. You were right about this summer. I’m lucky to have you as my partner. I’m lucky to have you as my wife.”

She put down the wine and kissed him again. A timer pinged.

Howard glanced at the dozens of doughnuts cooling on the counter. “Can I help you plate those?” he asked.

She looked pointedly at his sports jacket.

“What?” he said. “You think I’m afraid of rolling up my sleeves?” He pulled off his jacket and set it on a wall hook. Beth, eyebrows raised, pointed to the sink. She stood beside him as he washed his hands.

“What’s with your sudden interest in the kitchen?” she asked, passing him a clean towel.

“Beth, you weren’t right about just the summer,” he said. “You were right about something else: it is your turn.”





Chapter Fifty-Four



Lauren held on to Ethan’s hand and felt her own shaking as she led him to Emerson. She glanced back over her shoulder at Stephanie, who was watching like a protective mama bear.

When they reached Emerson, she found her tough, stoic former brother-in-law staring at Ethan with tears in his eyes.

“Ethan,” Lauren said. “This is a…family friend. Mr. Kincaid.”

Emerson glanced at her, and she nodded. He pulled out a chair and sat so he could talk to Ethan eye to eye. He asked Ethan about school and about what sports he liked to play. Ethan told him soccer.

“We should kick the ball around sometime,” Emerson said, looking to Lauren for the go-ahead.

“That sounds great, doesn’t it, Ethan?”

Ethan nodded, and Emerson held out his hand for a high five, which Ethan delivered before darting off.

“I remember when Rory was that age,” Emerson said. He turned to her with tears in his eyes. “Thank you, Lauren.”

“No problem. I mean, we’re family now, right?”

He nodded, clearly unable to speak. When he collected himself, he said, “What’s going on with that film?”

“The documentary? I don’t know. It’s…the truth will come out, Emerson. As we’ve seen.”

Stephanie made her way to them. Lauren wondered when they’d last seen each other. Not at her wedding, since Stephanie hadn’t been there. It might have been sometime during the summer when Lauren was at Georgetown instead of at the shore. The summer when their fates changed forever.

“Hey,” Stephanie said.

“You have a great boy there,” Emerson said.

“Thanks.” She looked at Lauren and shifted uncomfortably on her feet.

“I’d really like to see him now and then. Have a relationship.”

Stephanie nodded. “I appreciate that. And it will be good for him to have a man in his life. But I need some time. I’m going to tell him about his father. I’m just not sure exactly when. Before the film comes out, obviously.”

“You’re worried about the documentary?” Emerson said.

“That, and the other one.”

“What other one?” Emerson said.

Stephanie told him about Neil Hanes and finding the script in his house.

“I’d like to give that guy a piece of my mind,” Emerson said. “And my fist.”

“Well, it’s your lucky night—he’s here.”

Stephanie pointed to Neil, who was sitting at a corner table refilling a young blonde’s wineglass.

“Ladies, excuse me for a minute.”

They watched Emerson cut across the crowded room.

“I almost feel bad for Neil,” Lauren said.

“I don’t,” said Stephanie. And then: “Lauren, I know I just said I would tell Ethan the truth. I just don’t know how I’m going to find the words. Maybe I’m weak, but it’s just…I don’t know. I can’t do it.”

“You have to.”

“I wish it could just…happen.”

“It’s going to be okay,” Lauren said.

Stephanie reached out and hugged her, and the feeling of being in her big sister’s arms, alien and so familiar at the same time, brought fresh tears to Lauren’s eyes.

“I love you,” Stephanie said.

“I love you too.”



The sign on the door read PRIVATE PARTY. NORA’S CAFé OPENS TOMORROW AT 7 A.M. FOR BREAKFAST. THANK YOU. Matt could see from the street that the dining room was packed with people.

He had been halfway through his shitty craft beer in Williamsburg when he remembered the party. It came to him because a group of hipsters piled in with bags of doughnuts from Dough in Bed-Stuy. They made a big show of offering some to the bartender, who set them out on the bar. And Matt thought of Beth Adelman.