“That isn’t the same as respecting her.”

Her words landed harder than any threat from a rival.

“I didn’t know about the baby,” I said helplessly.

“That doesn’t excuse what you did before there was a baby.”

Outside, snow moved across the dark glass.

Somewhere upstairs, a monitor measured the heartbeat of a woman I had promised to protect and abandoned when protecting her became difficult.

Paige pushed back her coffee.

“I’ll help Hannah when she asks.