Running to Partner

Lacey laughed at Alex's rueful grin, laughed for the first time in a long

time. She hadn't laughed since that fateful night as a matter of fact, and if it

sounded pained to her ears, Alex didn't seem to notice. She followed her

out onto a nice little deck where a pitcher of iced coffee sat on a redwood

table surrounded by matching chairs with striped cushions on each seat. A

baby monitor rested beside the tall, ice-choked glasses and a hot tub

bubbled in the far corner. A high cedar fence with lattice work and a bench

in front of it afforded privacy.

Lacey saw Alex looking at the hot tub with a wistful expression, and the

other woman flushed a little before confiding that they never found time to

use it anymore. Little Aiden apparently commanded much of everyone's

time, and Lacey marveled at how a mere infant could monopolize his

mother and both fathers. She wondered how she was going to manage on

her own.