Her Husband's Other Life novel · Chapter 24 of 24

Chapter 24: The Nursery

The nursery was the small room at the back of the cottage, with a window onto the lake.

In December the water had gone grey and still, and snow lay along the rail of the porch.

Nate knelt on the floor in a flannel shirt with a screwdriver in his teeth and half a crib in front of him.

"You said you'd read the instructions," I said from the rocking chair.

"I read them." He took the screwdriver out. "They're wrong."

"That's what everyone says."

"This one's true. Look. The slats are numbered one to six, and there's no six."

I was thirty-eight weeks along and enormous, with my feet on a stool and a mug of decaf going cold on the arm of the chair.

Allie had painted the walls pale yellow two weeks ago, and had left a brush in the sink as proof.

Ross's mother had sent a quilt.

She came on the first Sunday of every month, drove two hours each way, and brought a casserole, and did not mention her son unless I did.

I had mentioned him once.

He worked at a lumber yard two counties over now, and paid what the court said on the first of every month.

Sabrina had pleaded guilty to filing a false application, and Keene Events had closed in June.

He had written me one letter.

I had read it, and put it in a drawer, and I was not ready to open the drawer again, and that was allowed.

"Number six is under the quilt," I said.

Nate lifted the quilt.

There was a slat under it.

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