She swallowed.
“I was scared of losing the arrangement. I know that doesn’t make it okay.”
“No,” I said. “It doesn’t.”
She nodded without asking me to comfort her.
My phone lit up.
Seth was calling for the fourth time since I’d left the bridal room.
I stared before answering.
“Hello.”
“Natalie, thank God. Where are you?”
“Still at the church.”
“Can we talk? Please?”
“We are talking.”
He sighed.
“Look, I’m sorry about how things happened.”
“How things happened?”
“You know what I mean.”
“Do I?”
“I’m trying here.”
I looked at Heather.
“Did you tell your sister you’d forgive yourself six thousand four hundred dollars by having me watch her children for a year?”
Silence.
Then:
“Heather told you about that?”
“Yes.”
He paused again.
“It’s not what it sounds like.”
“How many different ways can that arrangement sound?”
He spoke more quietly.
