In one, Mark wore a sweater I’d bought him.
Claire noticed my expression.
“What?”
“Nothing. Keep going.”
She showed me pictures from several sunny weekends at the lake.
Mark wore a silver wedding band in every photograph, including one taken six weeks earlier.
The pale mark I’d noticed wasn’t from three days of fishing.
It was a tan line from spending time outdoors with Claire.
“Why didn’t you get legally married?” I asked.
Claire lowered her eyes.
“He said losing his first wife made legal marriage difficult. He wanted us to exchange vows without worrying about paperwork.”
“And you agreed?”
“I loved him.”
She touched her ring.
“He said the promises mattered more than a certificate.”
I wanted to hate her.
It would have been easier.
But Claire had believed she was loving a lonely widower.
She hadn’t knowingly participated in an affair.
We compared dates.
