C.A.K.E

Arden steps back into the apartment, with the after-effects of Casper's touch still clouding her thoughts. She presses the front door closed and leans her shoulder against it. When she turns, two freckled smirks are waiting for her.

“He likes you,” Teagan says in a sing-song tone. She swirls a lock of her auburn hair around her finger and swings side to side. The hem of her floral sundress swishes with her every move.

“A lot,” Rowan adds, his stance firm and Converse tapping the hardwoods.

“He's a friend.” Arden wipes the smile off her face and walks past them.

“What kind of friend?” Teagan asks.

“A friend. No other adjectives to report.”

“How long has he been a friend?” Rowan eyeballs her.

“You heard, a little over a week.” Arden puts a hand on both of their shoulders and directs them over to the sofa. “Enough of the third degree. I believe you two are the ones who owe me an explanation.”

The twins plop down on the couch in a simultaneous flurry of fiery hair. They avoid Arden's expectant gaze, by pretending to be too engrossed with the new artwork on the walls.

“Oh, you bought the Cezanne,” Teagan points out.

Ardi rolls her eyes and addresses Rowan. “Ro?”

“I thought you were leaning toward a more contemporary piece,” Rowan muses.

“I too was of this mindset. But the Cezanne is much more nuanced.” Teagan swirls her hand through the air like she's flicking a paintbrush.

Rowan runs his hand over the peach fuzz on his chin and crosses his legs.

“I concur, dear sister. Indeed, a remarkable piece.”

Arden folds her arms across her chest and stares them both down. She looks at Rowan, before deciding to zero in on Teagan.

Her green eyes peek at Arden, before finding a less intimidating focal point. Tea has never been a good liar.

She scoots in between the two.

“Why aren't you in New York, Teagan?” Arden smooths Teagan's hair away from her face.

The girl plays with her dress and refuses to look at her Ammi. Neither one is willing to answer Arden.

They are supposed to be spending the summer with their mother in Manhattan. That's been the arrangement since they were in elementary school.

When they were five, Elliott asked for a custody review. Before that, the twins lived with their mother full-time. The judge asked them who they would like to live with, and they chose their father.

They chose Arden.

So she and Eli have primary custody of the twins. Once the academic year is over, they belong to their mother. Elliott and Arden put their babies on a plane, and count the days until August rolls around again.

The twins will be starting their senior year of high school at the Alabama School of Fine Arts in the fall, which means soon they'll be spending more than three months away from Arden. And Ardi is not ready for that yet.

She'll be rattling around in this house all by her lonesome. Elliott's absences will be even more noticeable when they're gone.

Arden sighs deep and glances at the two silent teenagers. They want to play hardball. That's fine. She heaves herself from the sofa and retrieves her phone.

“Since you two won't talk, I'll just give Melinda a call. Maybe she can tell me why you're not in New York with her.”

Ro and Tea abandon the statue act and scramble from their seats.

“All right, all right. We'll talk.”

“Just drop the weapon.” Rowan pats the air, signaling her to put down the phone.

Arden keeps her finger poised to dial Melinda's number. She is in no mood to unleash the crazy that is Eli's ex-wife. But she will. The kids need to know who's boss around here.

“Let's hear it first.”

The twins look at each other, and sigh. Rowan decides to take the lead.

“Melinda has a new boyfriend, and he's an asshole.”

Arden raises her eyebrow at Ro.

“Sorry.” He shrugs and tries again. “He's not the easiest guy to get along with.”

“Did he do anything to you?” Arden searches the twins for any signs of foul play. They brush off her worried hands.

“No, he's just a dick.” Teagan's nose wrinkles and her freckles glow like embers leaping from a fire. “They stay out all hours of the night. He smokes weed constantly. And the other night we heard him talking about shipping the rugrats back to their dad.”

in. “So we

something

to us, since her assistant picked us up from the airport and dropped us off at her

and she hasn't spent

been known to ignore her own children, then

takes the camera to flash, Rowan and Teagan become life-sized dolls she thinks can

be

first.” Teagan dismisses Ardi's concern. “The fraud department will be her first

Arden scoffs. “You should

Rowan frowns, shaking his head. “And there was no way we were

enough already, without you guys adding fuel

trophy wife. She's supposed to

be right, if she didn't.” Rowan grins at

everywhere.” Arden laughs and gives them both a kiss on the cheek. “Being

the sky blue?” Teagan smirks at

right, give me a

with a cotton button-down shirt. By the time she makes it back to the

lemonade. After they eat, they sit

much they win goes into a savings account that only she and Eli can access. But she lets them keep a third of the

hand like he's at the Bellagio.

to call your father. So don't get too comfortable taking

be a sore loser, Ammi.” He smiles behind the red plastic of the visor covering

him and

second ring. No matter what he's doing,

“Hello, my love.”

she hears the affection

“Hi, sweetheart.”

“How was your day?”

in the day flashes through her head. She pushes the former

mistake, but I didn't

ones, who will be costing us a substantial amount of college

the phone on speaker and

they yell in

supposed to be with your mother.” Surprise and irritation are apparent in

from the Big Apple. The result is three

hand to quiet Rowan and Teagan and takes the phone off speaker. She

into her jeans pocket, buying some time to prepare her nerves before she asks

soil and debris deposits to examine, and the coroner's office still hasn't faxed me their

rambling of reasons why she

I understand. We'll see you

dog, she'd kick him

sorry, Ardi.” He groans.

and is running his hand over his face. He doesn't like this arrangement any more than she does.

You have to work. What

are you

and plays with

“I love you.”

love

she feels even more alone than if she'd just watched him walk out the door. She stares at the phone in her hand like it's the culprit that's keeping her husband away from her. A couple of defiant tears escape her eyes, despite her trying

mixture of red, yellow, and green with their blinding lights. Her eyes shift in and out of focus as her mind drifts, making the world outside her window seem like a blurred Christmas tree. She catches two pale

a step toward her. “He's not coming home, is he?”

She puts an arm

in junk food,” Tea says

Arden nods. “Right.”

and Breaking Bad.” Rowan throws that request in, hoping to strike while

marginal. And you know good

a shot.” He

a little break from the

between the twins on the sofa, while they pig out and watch desperate groups

statement into the air, where it hangs

the already brimming jar of hurt, that their

both too

cream to Arden, who takes a spoonful before handing it back to

She takes a moment to search for the right words. “Both of your parents love

career, too.” Tea

for us like you do. If they

over with his spoon. Arden runs her hand

herself feeling the same as the twins do. Eli doesn't have to spend half the night piecing together remains, or performing analyses. And Melinda damn sure doesn't have to be such a vacuous bitch.

to assure Ro and Tea with the same line that seldom helps her sleep in