“Yes.”
“That’s wonderful.”
Her voice was polished smooth, but he heard what he had refused to hear for years. Madison knew how to sound sympathetic without becoming involved. She knew how to stand close enough to be desired and far enough away to remain untouched by consequences.
“I need to focus on finding Emily,” he said.
“Of course.”
Something in her tone tightened.
“But Mark, before you spiral, remember that Emily has always been emotional. Pregnancy probably made everything feel more dramatic. Once she calms down—”
“Don’t.”
The word came out quietly.
Madison stopped.
“Don’t talk about my wife like that.”
Another pause.
“I thought you said you were unhappy.”
“I was selfish.”
“That’s not the same thing.”
“No,” he said. “It’s not.”
Madison inhaled sharply.
“You turned your phone off too, Mark. Don’t make this all about me.”
“I’m not.”
But even as he said it, he realized how often he had done exactly that—made things about Madison because it was easier than looking directly at himself.
