I walk to Dr. Sumner’s house feeling a little lighter than usual.

Until tonight, part of me dreaded my weekly talk with her. Maybe it was the thought of watching Curtis scowl through the whole thing while I poured my heart out, assuming he even bothered to show up at all. Or how I never really felt strong enough to do anything she told me to do. But this time...

Be selfish. I may have taken that too far.

But it feels damn good.

I reach her house and walk around to the side door where her home office is. I hear laughter behind the door as I push it open but I think nothing of it until my eyes land on the man sitting in the armchair across from Dr. Sumner.

Curtis.

“Kimber!” Sumner greets me with a smile. “You’re right on time.”

I close the door, my eyes still locked on Curtis. “Hi, Dr. Sumner...”

Curtis smiles at me and stands up from his chair. “What’s wrong?” he asks.

“Nothing,” I say. “You’re... well, here.”

“Thursday nights, 8 PM. Right?”

I nod. “Yeah.”

“Well, come on.”

He gestures to our seats and I ease forward to sit down.

What is happening?

“Curtis was just telling me about your progress,” Sumner says.

I glance between them. “Oh, yeah?”

“Am I right, though?” Curtis asks Sumner. “She looks different?”

I grow tense as they both stare at me.

Sumner nods. “It’s what I’ve noticed the last few weeks. Yes.”

“When I told my parents she was actually leaving the house again, they didn’t believe me,” he says.

I frown. “You talked to your parents about me?”

His hand brushes my knee. “Oh, just small talk this week while I was gone. They’re happy you’re doing well. In fact, I’ve invited them to dinner this weekend so they can see for themselves.”

I hold my breath. “You did?”

“My mother is dying to see you again.”

“Well, that sounds wonderful,” Sumner says, sensing my coldness. “Doesn’t it, Kimber? “

I stare at the floor. A whole night hosting Patrick and Liana VanHouten isn’t exactly my idea of wonderful.

“When this weekend?” I ask him.

“Saturday night,” he says.

“The hoedown is on Saturday.”

Curtis leans back and his face screws up. “The hoedown?”

“You decided to go?” Sumner asks me.

“Well, I...” I nod. “Yes. I did. I want to go.”

“Darling, we don’t need to go to that,” Curtis says. “No, I think it’s better if we just let it pass and we spend a quiet evening with family. That’s the best thing to do, right, Doctor?”

Sumner considers it. “I think it’s up to her how she wants to attack her issues. She’s been very proactive lately. Going to the hoedown might be exactly she needs.”

“Or it could break her and we’d be right back where we started,” he argues.

Disappointment grips my chest. “I made plans. Why did you invite people over without consulting me first?”

“Why did you make plans without consulting me first?” he asks back.

“Because I...” My voice falls.

“Kimber, why would you want to drag me to that thing again anyway?” he adds. “It’s awful. You know I hate it.”

“It’s a town tradition.”

“So?”

“You wouldn’t understand, Curtis. I grew up here. You didn’t. You don’t have to go but I made plans with my friends.”

“And you thought I wanted to spend the holiday alone while my wife goes off to some barn party?”

“Honestly, I didn’t think you’d care at all. You never did before. Why would you start now?”

He pauses.

Sumner clears her throat. “How about we back up and unpack this, piece-by-piece?”

“No.” Curtis raises a hand, his eyes down on the floor. “She’s right. I deserved that.”

I stare at his expression, finding that same sincerity he had the other day before he left town.

“I haven’t been there for her when I should have.” He takes a breath. “I didn’t... understand why she couldn’t just get over it. Why our lives couldn’t go back to normal. I closed her out and I’m sorry for that.”

He lifts his eyes and looks at me.

“I’m sorry,” he says again. “I wasn’t there before but I’m here now and I really think the last thing we need is to keep reminding ourselves of the past. I want to move forward. Together.”

My heart bleeds. “Why now?” I ask him.

He smiles. “There’s something different about you. I don’t know. Something sparked in you and I realized that... I missed it. I don’t want to miss anymore.”

“Has it not occurred to you that if you were there sooner, you would have caused it?” I ask, my voice breaking.

He exhales. “Yes. And I’m sorry.”

I swallow hard, fighting tears.

Curtis turns in his chair toward me. “Darling, please—”

“Don’t call me that,” I say.

He drops his head and goes quiet.

“Kimber,” Sumner says.

I look at her and she shrugs a shoulder.

This is what she and I have talked about, right?

All we’ve been waiting for is for him to show the bare minimum of effort to save our marriage. Now, here he is. He showed up. He’s talking.

He’s trying.

But he’s too late.

Guilt stabs my chest. I made my selfish choice already.

How can we ever go back to normal after what I’ve done?

I can only try. It’s the bare minimum I can do.

“Okay,” I say. I look my husband in the eye. “I won’t go to the hoedown.”

Curtis extends his hand for mine. I hold it out but he stops to stare at my glove. He takes it with hesitation and he forces another smile as he looks at me.