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Chapter 18

Author: Cold Storm
last update Last Updated: 2025-05-27 18:06:11

"I can't believe you own this place."

Thomas carries our bags from the car while I stand on the wraparound porch of his lake house, staring out at the water. It's nothing like I expected—not some massive mansion, but a cozy two-bedroom cabin with weathered wood siding and flower boxes under every window.

"It was my grandfather's," he says, unlocking the front door. "He left it to me when I was twenty-five. Best inheritance ever."

I follow him inside, and the scent of cedar and lake air fills my lungs. Everything is warm wood and soft fabrics, comfortable furniture that looks lived-in rather than staged for a magazine.

"Thomas, this is beautiful."

"You sound surprised."

"I guess I expected something more..." I search for the right word.

"Pretentious?"

I laugh, feeling some of the tension from this week finally starting to ease. "Maybe a little."

It's been three days since the incident at the school, three days of avoiding gossip blogs and dodging curious looks at work. When Thomas sugg
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  • Divorcing my dead sister’s husband    Chapter 31

    It’s been a week since we moved houses into a bigger one and also 2 weeks since I found out I was pregnant. And also to weeks since I got back to the office.I'm staring at the ultrasound photo taped to my bathroom mirror when the panic hits. Eight weeks along, the doctor said. Everything looks perfect, she said. But all I can see is how tiny and fragile everything is in that black-and-white image."Daniela?" Thomas calls from downstairs. "You okay up there?"I splash cold water on my face and try to get my breathing under control. "Fine! Just getting ready!"But I'm not fine. I haven't been fine since we left Dr. James's office three days ago with our first official baby picture and a due date circled in red on the calendar.I should be happy. I am happy. But I'm also terrified in a way that makes my chest tight and my hands shake.Downstairs, Sam is eating cereal and swinging his legs under the table."Can we tell people about the baby today?" he asks for the third time this week."

  • Divorcing my dead sister’s husband    Chapter 30

    "I think I'm going to throw up," I tell Thomas, staring at the stack of wedding magazines Janet dropped off this morning."From excitement or terror?" he asks, not looking up from his laptop where he's supposedly working but reading baseball stats."Both. Neither. I don't know."Sam bounces into the living room carrying his soccer ball. "Are we picking flowers today? Aunt Janet said we need flowers for the wedding.""We're not picking anything today," I say, maybe a little too sharply. Sam's face falls, and I immediately feel guilty. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'm just a little overwhelmed.""What does that mean?""It means there are too many choices and my brain is tired," I explain, patting the couch beside me. He climbs up and leans against my shoulder."Like when we went to the grocery store and you stood in the cereal aisle for ten minutes?"Thomas snorts. "Exactly like that.""That was different. There are forty-seven different types of cereal. Who needs forty-seven types of cereal

  • Divorcing my dead sister’s husband    Chapter 29

    "I can't believe you told her," I mutter to Thomas as we pull into Janet's driveway. Her house is already bustling with activity—cars parked everywhere, balloons tied to the mailbox, and the sound of laughter drifting from the backyard."I had to tell someone," Thomas says. "And Janet loves you. She's been planning this since the moment I called her.""You called her the same night you proposed!""I was excited!"Sam bounces in the backseat. "Is this going to be like a real party? With cake and everything?""Knowing Janet, there's going to be enough cake to feed half the neighborhood," I say.We're barely out of the car before Janet comes rushing toward us, arms outstretched like she's greeting celebrities."There's my soon-to-be bride!" She pulls me into a hug that nearly lifts me off my feet. "Let me see that ring!"I hold out my hand, and Janet examines the engagement ring like she's a jewelry appraiser."Thomas, you did good," she announces. "Very good.""Thanks, Janet. I had help

  • Divorcing my dead sister’s husband    Chapter 28

    I'm crying now, full-on ugly crying, and I can't seem to stop."I know it's a lot," Thomas says, looking suddenly uncertain. "And if you need time—""Yes," I choke out."Yes?""Yes, I'll marry you. Yes to all of it."He slides the ring onto my finger with shaking hands, and then he's kissing me and I'm kissing him back and laughing and crying all at the same time."Are you sure?" he asks against my lips. "Because once you say yes, you're stuck with me. And my terrible dad jokes. And my obsession with baseball statistics.""I'm sure," I say, and for the first time in my life, I am.We sit there holding each other as the sun sets completely, and I study the ring on my finger. It catches the light from the fire pit, sending little sparkles across the deck."When did you know?" I ask. "That you wanted to marry me?""Honestly? The first time I saw you was with Sam. The way you protected him, even when you were scared. The way you put his needs above your own, always. I knew I wanted to be

  • Divorcing my dead sister’s husband    Chapter 27

    When I hang up, Thomas finds me sitting on the back porch, staring at the garden we planted together last month. "Good news or bad news?" he asks, sitting beside me."Good news, I think. Alex pled guilty. Twenty-five years."Thomas lets out a long breath. "How do you feel?""Relieved. Scared. Guilty for feeling relieved." I lean against his shoulder. "Is it wrong that I'm glad he's going to prison?""You're glad that someone who hurt you and Sam is being held accountable. That's not wrong, that's human.""I keep thinking I should feel triumphant or something. Like I won. But mostly I just feel tired.""That's because the real victory isn't Alex going to prison," Thomas says. "The real victory is Sam sleeping through the night without nightmares. It's you trusting someone enough to let them love you. It's all of us building something good together."I think about Sam's drawings that cover our refrigerator now—pictures of the three of us, pictures of our house, pictures of the family h

  • Divorcing my dead sister’s husband    Chapter 26

    The courthouse steps are swarming with reporters, but I barely notice them as Margaret and I walk toward the entrance. Sam's hand is small and warm in mine, and he's wearing his best button-down shirt—the one Thomas helped him pick out this morning."Are you ready for this?" Margaret asks.I'm not sure anyone can be ready for a moment like this, but I nod anyway. "Let's get it over with."Inside, the courtroom feels different than it did during the custody hearing. More formal somehow, more final. Alex isn't here—he's still in federal custody awaiting his fraud trial—but his presence lingers like smoke in the air.Judge takes his seat, and the room falls silent. Sam squeezes my hand tighter."In the matter of Reyes versus Harrison," the judge begins, "this court has reviewed all testimony, evidence, and recent developments in the criminal case against Mr. Harrison."My heart pounds so hard I'm sure everyone can hear it."Given Mr. Harrison's current incarceration on federal charges, h

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