BEFORE LEAVING, I RECEIVED a gentle kiss from Nathan, while Sean was given strict instructions to look after me and stay out of trouble. He made me promise to return the following day with an unhindered Sean—meaning not arrested for assault.
With the loan of Ethan’s pickup, we arrived at Poppy’s shortly after five thirty. On the drive, we hadn’t discussed what happened in the garden, or what it meant for us. We’d just sat quietly, glancing sideways at one another, throwing the occasional smile.
However, when I entered through Poppy’s front door, she took one look at me, and then at Sean, and a quiet ‘hmmmm’ vibrated past her lips before she beamed at us both and waved us in. She even nudged us toward the stairs to use the bathroom together.
During dinner, Poppy allowed Ben and six-year-
