Lacey laughed at Alex's rueful grin, laughed for the first time in a long
time. She hadn't laughed since that fateful night as a matter of fact, and if it
sounded pained to her ears, Alex didn't seem to notice. She followed her
out onto a nice little deck where a pitcher of iced coffee sat on a redwood
table surrounded by matching chairs with striped cushions on each seat. A
baby monitor rested beside the tall, ice-choked glasses and a hot tub
bubbled in the far corner. A high cedar fence with lattice work and a bench
in front of it afforded privacy.
Lacey saw Alex looking at the hot tub with a wistful expression, and the
other woman flushed a little before confiding that they never found time to
use it anymore. Little Aiden apparently commanded much of everyone's
time, and Lacey marveled at how a mere infant could monopolize his
mother and both fathers. She wondered how she was going to manage on
her own.
