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finger on it, but something was. Maybe it was Chase’s abandonment years ago. Maybe it was her own fear of commitment that had taken root during her years as a single mom — it wasn’t just her own heart that could be broken now. Even scarier, Macy feared she no longer had the capacity to love, that her heart could only go so far. Like any muscle goneunused for a long period of time, its flexibility was significantly limited.
    “Emma asked me today if I could come down sometime while you guys are at the beach,” Chase ventured, sawing away at his grilled chicken. The chicken was a little overdone, but Macy would never say so. Chase kept his eyes on the chicken as she stared at the top of his head. She noticed his hairline was receding.
    The trip was just a few weeks away, and Macy could feel herself growing more excited as it approached. But in all her daydreaming about it, she hadn’t once considered the option of Chase joining them. She looked at Emma, trying to paste a smile on her face and not give away her true feelings.
    “Well, it’s kind of a family trip.” She chose her words carefully in front of Emma and wished Chase knew a bit more about how to be a father. An experienced dad would leave these kinds of discussions to when they were alone and could talk freely.
    “Mommy! Daddy is family!” Emma scolded, warily poking the asparagus with her finger.
    “Well, I mean
my
family,” Macy was quick to explain. “Grandma isn’t Daddy’s mommy and Max isn’t Daddy’s brother. That’s all I meant.”
    Two pairs of matching brown eyes stared back at her. Neither pair seemed to accept what she was saying. Macy looked back at Chase, imploring him to give her the out she was searching for.
    “This trip is kind of a big deal. To my mom,” she said. Thestatement was only partially true. It had become a big deal for Macy as well.
    “Grandma won’t mind if Daddy’s there,” Emma said, the whiny tone Macy knew all too well lacing her words. She came home from day care so tired it was a miracle if they managed to get all the way through dinner, bath, story, and bedtime without a meltdown. Chase’s suggested trip to the ice cream parlor was about as likely as Chase joining them at the beach.
    “Well, we’ll just have to see,” Macy said. She shot Chase a look, appealing to him to let it lie. He speared a bite of chicken with his fork, and Emma slipped from her seat and went to pout in front of the television. Normally Macy would’ve called her back, told her to eat more of her dinner, talked to her about leaving the table without permission. But this time she simply let her go, grateful that her attention was redirected and Macy could talk with Chase.
    “I wish you wouldn’t have brought that up in front of her, Chase. You should’ve asked me privately.”
    “I thought we were a family. Families discuss things, last I checked.”
    “Not things that could upset the child in the family.” She had to keep from raising her voice. It was hard to disagree while whispering. How was it that minutes ago she had been happy, content, hopeful? “You have to ask me things that concern her out of her earshot. Then, after we’ve made a decision, we can tell her.” She felt like she was teaching a class in remedial parenting.
    “You mean your decision,” Chase corrected. “When we’ve made
your
decision, we tell her. You have no intention of letting me come on this trip. A discussion isn’t necessary.”
    “It’s not
my
trip or
my
beach house. My mom arranged this trip and has covered all the expenses. And my mom reserved the house—a house that has no extra bedrooms.”
    He raised his eyebrows. “So I sleep with you. That’s what families do. The mommy and the daddy sleep together.”
    She narrowed her eyes at him and collected her and Emma’s plates. “The mommy and the daddy are preferably married when they do that. Especially if the mommy’s mom is right across the hall.”
    She stood up and