Episode 559: Drawn To The Rhythm

She’d kissed the man before and where had that gotten her? Her heart thoroughly thrashed. Kissing him isn’t worth it; she warned herself and took a step back. Her eyes stayed on his mouth.

She loved kissing him. That used to be her favorite part of any day. She had so many other favorite things in her life now though, like the baby in her arms. Feeding her, bathing her, playing with her and listening to her giggle. She had all those things, and she had them with Curran. That should have been enough; she should have been more than content with the status quo, with the way their lives were humming along, perfect for Hope.

Perfect for her. She had a partner in raising her little girl, without the chance of being hurt again, learning that the man who shared her bed was also sharing someone else’s. If she didn’t share a bed with him, if she kept their home in this weirdly platonic state, she’d be fine. Why then, after all these months of him brushing her with his hands and his lips had she finally brushed him back? Why had she ruined their perfectly good set-up?

Michael was so sure she’d ruined things, that Curran would not let her carry on as if she hadn’t kissed him, he’d comment, he’d flirt, he wouldn’t let it go, he’d press far harder than he had been, knowing how close she was to giving in, he’d tempt her right over the edge. He’d probably cheat on her again. She’d be devastated, and their happy little family would become a fractured home.

But as they put Hope to bed, and shared a quiet adult meal, Curran never said a word about her kissing him, and she thought of all the ways he’d surprised her, the differences she’d seen in him since their marriage had imploded. All night he wore an unspoken… joy on his face, and Michael found she wanted to feel that joy, too, when they said goodnight in the hallway, and parted for their separate bedrooms, she reached for his hand.

Episode 560: Broken