Jennifer stood in the doorway watching Garrett tuck his children into bed. Ian asked a question each time Garrett started to rise. In the top bunk, Ethan's eyes had already closed.
After fielding a few dozen questions about everything from where the moon came from to how yo-yos worked, Garrett kissed the boy's cheek. He turned off the overhead light, leaving only a night-light to illuminate the room.
Wordlessly, they made their way to the living room.
"I should go."
He shook his head. "Don't."
"I can't stay."
"Because of the kids?"
She swallowed. She had to tell him. Before they got any closer, before he got ideas about her and his children. She couldn't do that to his children, to him.
"With Mom coming home from the rehab center tomorrow, I don't think we should see each other anymore. Our avoiding each other shouldn't be a problem."
"I don't want to avoid you, Jennifer. I want to share my life with you."
"That's not going to happen."
"Because of the boys?"
She nodded. "Perhaps if you didn't have children we could have worked, but—" her voice broke. "I can't do this."
She turned, determined to leave before she completely broke down.
She'd barely taken two steps when Garrett spun her toward him. "That's it? You don't want kids, I have two, and so you just shut off the way you feel about me?"
She couldn't meet his gaze.
"Answer me, damn it! You care so little about me that you'd walk away rather than attempt to know my boys?"
It was because she cared that she pulled loose and rushed out of his house.
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