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she went out to a gym.
    “You know, you could order fully prepared meals,” she said, leaning back against the counter. “Store them in the refrigerator and take them out for each meal. It’d be a lot easier than making them separately.”
    I picked up a handful of napkins. “It gives me something to do,” I said. “Besides, I like being able to make something special for Chloe. We sometimes get so busy back home that we don’t really get a lot of home-cooked meals.”
    “Well, that’s just the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.” She pushed herself off the counter, walked over to where I was standing and looked me straight in the eyes. “Chloe’s lucky to have a man like you.”
    I narrowed my eyes and picked up the tray. “I’m the lucky one, Nina,” I said in a cool voice as I walked out of the kitchen. It might’ve sounded like some line, but I meant it.
    Chloe was sleeping when I entered the room but I knew she needed to eat, so I set down the tray and leaned over her. I pressed my lips against her forehead, in part because I wanted to, but also because I was checking for a fever. She hadn’t been sick or anything, but after what had happened, I wasn’t taking any chances. I’d even considered buying a stethoscope so I could monitor her and the baby’s hearts. Since that would’ve meant leaving the house, I’d decided against it.
    “Chloe, sweetie, wake up.” I kept my voice soft. The naps she’d been taking during the day hadn’t been very deep, so there was no need to be loud. “It’s dinner time.”
    She shifted and stretched as her eyes opened. She smiled as soon as she saw me and my heart constricted. I wondered how many days it would take before I’d stop reliving the horror of seeing Chloe’s crumpled body at the bottom of the stairs and how close I’d come to...
    “Dinner?” Her voice was still sleepy.
    I smiled at her and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. We’d washed it last night and we both laughed when I’d attempted to braid it for her. At the end of the whole ordeal, Chloe just pulled it back with a hair tie and said I’d have a few more years to practice before Victoria’s hair got long enough for braids. I helped her sit up more and stacked up the pillows behind her until she was upright.
    “Tomato soup and grilled cheese?” Her entire face lit up and I caught a glimpse of what she must’ve looked like as a kid—home sick and getting treated to her favorite meal.
    I settled the tray between us on the bed, careful to hold it with my knees so that it stayed steady. We ate in silence, but I was watching her, making sure she wasn’t just nibbling.
    “Eat all of that sandwich. You need to keep your strength up,” I warned.
    “I can’t eat all of it at once. My poor stomach is smashed up into my esophagus.”
    I paused from my bite of food and frowned at her.
    She sighed. “Okay, okay, I’ll eat it. Just in stages.”
    I smiled and continued eating. I liked that she was being feisty with me. It made me feel like things were almost normal, so I wasn’t worried. Well, not as worried as I could’ve been.
    “Did you talk to Ryan today?” Chloe asked as she started to break her cookie into pieces.
    I nodded. “He said to give you a kiss from him and that he and Liam are discussing how they can make Victoria their flower girl.”
    She laughed. “They don’t know much about babies. Victoria will be too little. Aren’t they planning a spring wedding?”
    I shrugged. “You know Ryan. He’ll probably figure out some way to put her in a stroller of flowers and incorporate that into the ceremony.”
    “I’m so happy for him,” she said.
    A sniffle caught my attention and I looked up in time to see her wiping her eyes. “What’s wrong?”
    “We should be up there helping him plan and doing test runs to the hospital.” She put down her half-eaten cookie. “Instead, we’re down here, far from most of our friends, and it’s all my fault.”
    I moved the