And strangely, that silence gave me a little hope.

Elaine visited the next day with homemade soup.

Before she even took off her coat, she said, “I’m not here to convince you to take Nick back.”

I laughed.

“Good. Because I was already preparing my answer.”

She sat beside me.

“I hoped those shopping bags would help you feel safe again,” she said. “But I understand that clothes can’t repair everything.”

“They helped more than you know.”

She squeezed my hand.

“I wish my son hadn’t put you through this.”

We ate lunch and discussed the baby.

She asked about my next appointment, whether I’d washed the crib sheets, and if I needed help preparing meals for after delivery.

She never suggested I owed Nick forgiveness because she’d bought me clothes.

That was one of the reasons I trusted her.

Nick remained at his parents’ home for another nine days.