Chapter 24: The Thaw

The ice went out of the lake on the second Sunday in April.

I woke to the sound of it, a long groan and a crack.

I lay listening, with Declan's arm across my stomach and Roz's cold feet against my shins.

"Is that the lake?" Roz mumbled into the pillow.

"It's the lake."

"Is it breaking?"

"It's thawing," said Declan. "Go back to sleep."

Nobody did.

By nine the kitchen smelled of butter and coffee.

Roz stood at the stove in Declan's old grey shirt, flipping pancakes with her tongue between her teeth.

It was the first Sunday since January that she had cooked there without asking anyone's leave.

Declan sat at the table with his sleeves rolled, drawing.

A second wing was growing across the north side of the house on his paper.

A crew had started on the real foundation that week.

I leaned in the doorway with my tea and watched the two of them argue about syrup.

"Warm it first," said Roz.

"It's maple syrup, it doesn't need warming."

"It does if you want it to be good."

"Juliet. Tell her."

"Warm it first," I said.

Declan put down his pencil in disgust. "You always take her side about syrup."

"I take your side about drawing. She takes my side about pie. It balances."

Roz laughed so hard she nearly dropped the pan.

At ten, a car came up the drive and honked twice.

Imogen got out in a fresh camel coat, holding a cardboard box in both arms.

Keep reading free with an account. Start My Husband Cheated With My Best Friend, So I Took Them Both from Chapter 1, then sign up free to read the rest of this chapter.