Chapter 1: The Man Who Came Home With Someone Else
The first time my husband saw our three-month-old twin daughters, he was standing in a Miami cruise terminal with another woman's lipstick on his mouth.
And the first thing he said to me wasn't hello.
It was, "Emily, what the hell are you doing here?""
I stood beneath the enormous glass windows of PortMiami, holding one baby in each arm while passengers streamed past us with rolling suitcases and vacation smiles.
Piper was asleep against my shoulder. Poppy was awake, chewing on the corner of her tiny pink blanket.
I'd spent three hours getting them ready.
Matching white dresses. Little pink bows. Soft shoes they would probably outgrow before they could walk.
I'd even put on the blue dress Tyler once told me made him fall in love with me.
Today was supposed to be perfect.
Five months earlier, my husband had boarded the luxury cruise ship Ocean Majesty for a temporary assignment as its hospitality operations manager.
At the time, I was seven months pregnant.
He'd kissed my stomach before leaving.
"Five months, sweetheart," he'd promised.
"Then I'll be home, and we'll raise our girls together.""
I'd cried when his car disappeared down our driveway.
But I'd believed him.
I believed him when he called from the ship every Sunday. I believed him when he said the internet was unreliable. I believed him when he occasionally missed a video call because of an emergency.
And when he stopped asking about my doctor's appointments, I told myself he was simply exhausted.
I gave birth to Piper and Poppy on a rainy Tuesday night.
Tyler wasn't there.
He watched the delivery through a video call that disconnected twice. When the doctor placed my daughters against my chest, I held my phone up so he could see them.
"Look at them," I whispered through tears.
"They're beautiful.""
Tyler smiled from somewhere aboard the ship.
"They're perfect, Em. I wish I could be there.""
"I wish you could too.""
"I'll make it up to you. I promise.""
That promise had carried me through three months of sleepless nights, pediatric appointments, and mornings when I could barely remember what a full night's sleep felt like.
Now he was finally coming home.
I spotted him near the exit.
His familiar dark hair. His navy company uniform. The expensive watch I'd given him for our second anniversary.
My heart leaped.
"Daddy's here, girls," I whispered.
I lifted my hand.
Then I saw the woman beside him.
She was blonde, tall, and dressed in a cream-colored designer outfit. One hand held the handle of an enormous suitcase.
The other rested against Tyler's chest.
He leaned down.
She tilted her face upward.
And they kissed.
Not a quick greeting.
Not an awkward misunderstanding.
A long, familiar kiss.
My hand slowly dropped.
For several seconds, I couldn't hear anything around me.
Then Tyler pulled away, laughing at something she whispered.
He wrapped his arm around her waist.
And that's when he saw me.
His smile vanished.
"Emily?""
The woman followed his gaze.
I swallowed hard.
"Surprise," I managed.
Tyler looked at the babies, then at me.
"What the hell are you doing here?""
I adjusted Piper's blanket.
"I wanted you to meet your daughters.""
The blonde woman laughed.
"Wait. These are your kids?""
Tyler rubbed his forehead.
"Emily, we agreed you'd wait at home.""
I stared at him.
"Who is she?""
He exhaled impatiently.
"This is Vanessa. We met on the ship.""
Vanessa pushed her sunglasses onto her head.
"Don't look so shocked, sweetheart. Men get lonely.""
I felt Piper stir against my shoulder.
"Tyler," I whispered, "I was giving birth to your daughters while you were sleeping with another woman?""
He glanced toward the terminal doors.
"Come on, Emily. Five months at sea. You can't seriously expect a man to stay faithful that long.""
Vanessa laughed.
Then he delivered the sentence that shattered whatever remained of my marriage.
"And before you start crying, Vanessa wasn't the only one. There were others.""
I stared at him.
Others.
While I'd been counting down the days until his return, he'd apparently been counting women.
"Did you ever think about us?"" I asked.
"Don't make a scene.""
"Did you ever think about your daughters?""
He looked at the babies again.
"Not right now. Vanessa and I have dinner reservations.""
Something inside me went quiet.
I looked at the man I'd married, the man whose name was printed on both my daughters' birth certificates.
Then I smiled.
"You're right, Tyler. I understand.""
He blinked.
"Really?""
"Yes. But there's something you forgot.""
I nodded toward the other side of the terminal.
"Look to your right.""
Tyler turned.
His expression changed instantly.
Standing beside a black SUV was Michael Bennett, the cruise company's senior operations director.
Next to him stood a woman holding a thick folder.
Vanessa suddenly released Tyler's arm.
"Why is my husband here?""
Tyler's face went white.
"Your WHAT?""
Michael started walking toward us.
He looked at me first, then at the twins.
"I'm sorry, Emily," he said quietly.
"You shouldn't have had to find out this way.""
Then he turned toward Tyler.
"There's something else you need to know about the woman you've been traveling with.""
The woman beside Michael opened her folder.
And Vanessa began backing away.
May you like
Because the first document had a photograph Tyler recognized immediately.
A photograph of himself holding a newborn baby.
