Daniel Herrera parked his sleek sedan on a dusty back road and felt his pulse hammer when he saw her.
His ex-wife.
The poised woman he’d met a decade earlier at upscale charity galas in Coral Gables was now standing in the doorway of a weathered wooden cottage. Two little girls clung to her legs.
He’d gotten the address from a former mutual friend, Melissa Grant, who let it slip at a fundraiser the week before.
When Emily stepped outside and recognized him, she immediately tried to shut the door.
“Emily, please. I need to talk to you,” Daniel said, bracing his hand against it.
“There’s nothing to say. Go,” she replied, her voice shaking.
“Just five minutes.”
The twins, about seven years old, peeked from behind her. Their clothes were simple but clean. Their light brown hair caught the sun. Something about their faces tugged at him.
“Who is that man, Mom?” one whispered.
With a heavy breath, Emily stepped aside and let him into the cramped space that served as living room, kitchen, and bedroom. The air smelled faintly of damp wood. The ceiling sagged in places.
“These are—” Daniel started.
“My daughters. Lily and Grace,” Emily cut in. “From before.”
Daniel looked closer. The hazel-green eyes. The curve of their noses. One had a small crescent-shaped birthmark near her temple—exactly like his.
“Before?” he repeated weakly.
“Before everything,” she said vaguely.
Then one of the girls, Lily, blurted out, “Mom, he looks like the man in the pictures you hid. The one from the big house when we were babies.”
Emily went pale.
“The big house?” Daniel asked slowly. “When were they born?”
Before she could answer, an elderly neighbor appeared at the door.
“What’s going on, Emily?” asked Mrs. Harper, her gray hair pinned neatly back.
“It’s nothing,” Emily said quickly.
Mrs. Harper smiled at Daniel. “Haven’t seen a fancy car here since you showed up pregnant seven years ago, dear.”
Seven years.
Daniel did the math. They had still been married. Very married.
“Seven years ago?” he murmured. “Emily… we were together.”
“Mrs. Harper, could you take the girls outside?” Emily asked quietly.
When they were alone, Daniel sat in a taped plastic chair.
“Tell me the truth.”
She leaned against the wall. “I found out I was pregnant three months after our wedding.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You always said kids would derail your plans. You were expanding the company, traveling nonstop. There was never a good moment.”