Chapter 2

Just as I was hauling the last of the suitcases into the hallway, a whirlwind of perfume and bright energy swept through the front door.

"I'm home!"

It was Olivia. My wife. She was supposed to be in New York until tomorrow, but here she was, dropping her carry-on bag and beaming at me. The tension in the room broke like a fever.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, a huge, genuine smile spreading across my face for the first time all day. "I thought your flight wasn't until tomorrow morning."

"I finished the conference early and caught the last flight out tonight," she said, rushing over to hug me. "I couldn't stand another night in a hotel. I missed you."

She kissed me, a real kiss, and I felt the knot in my stomach loosen. She was my shield, my defender.

Martha's voice cut through our moment. "Olivia. You're back." There was no warmth in it, just surprise.

Olivia pulled away from me and turned to her mother. "Mom. Dad. You made it." She gave her father a warm hug, then approached her mother with more caution. "How was the flight?"

"Long," Martha said, her eyes flicking from Olivia to me and back again. "And your husband got us lost."

Olivia's smile tightened. "Mom, don't start. Liam knows this city better than anyone. The traffic from the airport is a nightmare. He probably saved you an hour."

She turned back to me and gave my hand a squeeze, a clear signal of alliance. "Thank you for picking them up, honey."

I just nodded, my heart swelling with gratitude. This was why I loved her. She always had my back.

"I'm going to go freshen up," Olivia said. "We can all have a nice, quiet dinner. I picked up some lasagna from that Italian place you love, Liam." She gave me a quick wink before heading upstairs.

Martha watched her go, a sour expression on her face. "She's always rushing to your defense. I don't know why. I told her from the beginning this was a mistake. A man with no ambition."

"Martha, please," Robert said quietly. "Let's not do this."

"You stay out of it, Robert," she snapped. "You never had a backbone, so don't expect me to listen to you now."

Olivia reappeared at the top of the stairs, her jacket off and her hair pulled back. Her face was stern. "Mom, that's enough. I'm not going to let you come into my home and insult my husband. Not tonight, not ever. If you can't be civil, you can stay in the guest room until your appointments are over. Is that clear?"

Martha stared at her daughter, for once, speechless. A flash of anger crossed her face, but she was smart enough to know she had lost this round. She gave a curt nod and turned her attention to her suitcase. "Fine. Where are we sleeping?"

Later, after a tense dinner where Martha barely spoke, Olivia and I were cleaning up in the kitchen.

"I'm so sorry, Liam," she whispered, wrapping her arms around my waist from behind. "I knew this would be hard. That's why I came home early. I was worried about you being alone with her."

"It's okay," I said, leaning back into her embrace. "I can handle it. Especially now that you're here."

"She's just... difficult," Olivia sighed. "Her health issues are making her even more bitter."

As Robert walked his wife to the guest room, Martha's voice drifted back into the kitchen. "I still can't believe you were in Miami for a whole week without calling me once, Olivia. They have phones in Miami, you know."

I froze, the plate in my hand suddenly feeling slick. I turned to Olivia, a question in my eyes.

"Miami?" I mouthed silently.

Olivia's smile flickered for a fraction of a second, so fast I almost missed it. "Oh, Mom's just confused," she said, her voice a little too bright. "You know how she gets things mixed up. I was in New York. Obviously."

She took the plate from my hand and kissed my cheek. "Don't worry about it. She's just tired from the trip."

But I was worried. Because I had helped Olivia book her flight. I had dropped her at the terminal for the flight to JFK. I had the confirmation email in my inbox. The conference was in New York. It had always been New York.

So why did her mother think she was in Miami?