"Letitia's outfit was too short during a performance, so I lent her my jacket. That's how she got my cologne on her. Don't overthink it."
I couldn't be bothered to guess how long it had taken him to come up with that pathetic excuse. My eyes stayed on my phone screen.
"Relax. I don't have the bandwidth to obsess over this stuff. I'd rather spend my time reviewing investment portfolios."
His expression froze, then darkened.
"Money. That's all you ever think about. Do I even exist in your world? Am I even your husband?"
"Fine. Let's see how well you hold this family together on your own!"
He shoved the door open and stormed out.
Letitia trailed after him, her voice dripping with smug sympathy.
"You know, Caroline, being a wife means learning to soften up a little. If you keep this up, Corey's going to be really hurt."
She paused at the threshold. "And honestly, how can you put a price tag on someone's dream? You still don't understand him at all."
I didn't respond. I got up and gave Noah his medicine.
After they left, Noah looked crestfallen too.
"Daddy's leaving already? He hasn't been home in so long. I miss him."
I let out a heavy sigh and pulled him close.
"It's okay, sweetheart. Mommy will always be right here with you."
Corey didn't show up again, not even once, all the way through Noah's discharge. Like he was punishing me with his absence.
I went back to work and scheduled a meeting with a client.
The meeting spot happened to be a café near the mall. After we wrapped up, the client pointed through the glass window with an amused grin.
"Kids these days. So much energy."
I followed his gaze toward the mall's outdoor stage and froze for a second.
It was Corey's band.
What were the odds.
The last pounding notes faded, and as the crowd broke into applause, Letitia rose on her tiptoes, threw herself into Corey's arms, and kissed him hard.
The audience went still for a beat, then erupted into louder cheers.
Something flickered inside me, faint as a breeze across still water. Then it was gone.
I wrapped up the conversation and headed out. The band was coming offstage at the same time, and Corey and I walked straight into each other.
He spotted me, and his expression shifted into something almost defiant.
"It's just a gig, and you show up to spy on me? Caroline, can you give me some space for once?"