PART 1 — THE MAN BEHIND THE DOOR
I knocked softly on Chloe’s front door while balancing a cake and a bag of fresh pastries in my arms.
She had recently lost her husband, who had been Julian’s closest friend. Since my husband was supposedly away on a business trip, I thought visiting her would be a kind gesture.
A scraping noise came from inside, as though someone had suddenly pushed furniture across the floor.
Then the door opened.
The person standing there was not Chloe.
It was Julian.
My husband was supposed to be hundreds of miles away.
Instead, he stood in Chloe’s doorway wearing the white shirt I had ironed for him that morning. His collar was crooked, the top buttons were undone, and his usually neat hair was disordered.
The moment he saw me, panic crossed his face.
“Clara,” he stammered. “Why are you here?”
I studied his appearance before answering.
“I came to check on Chloe. Her husband died, and I thought she might need company.”
Then I looked directly at him.
“Why are you here?”
Julian forced an awkward smile.
“Her garbage disposal broke. She didn’t know who else to call.”
Under different circumstances, I might have accepted the explanation.
Then Chloe’s voice floated from the hallway.
“Julian, darling, who is it?”
She appeared behind him wearing a silk nightdress.
My attention immediately dropped to the unmistakable curve beneath the fabric.
She was pregnant.
“Chloe,” I whispered. “You’re expecting a baby.”
She stepped behind Julian as though trying to disappear.
Before either of them could respond, my mother-in-law, Evelyn, emerged from the kitchen carrying a bowl of hot soup.
“Julian, help Chloe sit down,” she said. “Standing too long isn’t good for my grandson.”
