I Announced Our Divorce To Airport Reporters

Annika James and Emma Sanchez hit the stores together, picking out sweaters, a jacket, and a cozy pajama set for Annika’s dad, Andrew. They loaded their shopping bags into Emma’s car.

On the drive back to Annika’s place, she suddenly blurted out, “Emma, it’s been ages since we hit up O'Malley's.”

O'Malley's was that charming little pub Annika used to haunt back in her college days, especially when finals stress had her climbing the walls. After Bowen Flores died, it became her go-to spot to drown her sorrows late into the night. She’d stopped going as much after marrying Xavier Parker, but this year she’d started drifting back to that old haunt.

Emma gave a nod and steered the car toward their beloved watering hole.

They slid into a snug booth and ordered their usual. O'Malley's—a small, unassuming joint with decent prices—was Annika’s escape from the snobby stares of Seattle’s elite.

As they chatted, Emma brought up Andrew. “Last time I saw your dad, he seemed way better. He’s not sleeping as much, and his memory’s been getting sharper. Annika, honestly, I think he’s gonna make a full recovery one day.”

Annika gave a half-hearted smile. “The Parkers made sure he got the best doctors. No surprise the results are good.”

Emma caught the edge in Annika’s voice. Studying her friend, she asked, “You still think your dad’s accident had something to do with Lina’s family?”

Annika kept her face smooth. “Molly Watkins might not like me, but she’s the one who stepped up when my dad had his accident. She lined up the doctors, found us a lawyer. Even stood by me through the drunk driver’s trial.”

Annika paused, then added, “But Xavier swears it had nothing to do with her family.”

Emma got it. Annika trusted Xavier, but she wasn’t about to let go of finding out the truth.

Just as Annika took another sip of wine, her phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen and hit ignore.

Xavier kept calling, and by the sixth ring, Emma finally picked up.

“Hey, Xavier? It’s Emma.”

There was a pause on the line. “Where’s Annika?”

Emma shot a look at Annika, who was nursing her drink. “Oh, Annika’s had a little too much tonight. Didn’t hear her phone.”

Another beat of silence. “Where are you?” Xavier asked.

“At O'Malley's.”

Xavier didn’t say anything, so Emma added, “Don’t worry, I’ll get her home safe. I’m DD tonight, and she just wanted to blow off some steam.”

He hung up without another word.

Emma turned to Annika with a wink. “Go ahead and let loose. Tonight’s on me!”

Annika cracked a wry smile. “You really think he won’t show?”

“Come on, you trust me, right?” Emma teased. “Didn’t I promise to get you home safe?”

Annika sighed. “It’s not about trust—it’s about him steamrolling what I want. Even if I tell him, he won’t listen. Like what you just said, I wanted to stay out longer. He’ll just decide it’s late and time to head home.”

Emma paused, at a loss for words.

Sure enough, half an hour later, the door to their booth swung open.

Xavier stood there in a gray coat, his eyes zeroed in on Annika. Her cheeks were flushed, her skin glowing from the wine as she kept drinking. Xavier crossed the room in long strides, stopping right at her side.

She barely glanced his way.

Emma tried to smooth things over. “Xavier, I told you Annika wanted to stay for a few more drinks.”

Xavier turned to Annika. “It’s late. Let’s head home.”

Emma was stunned. His words echoed Annika’s prediction perfectly. For a second, she couldn’t tell if this couple was creepily in sync or just completely at odds.

Annika’s voice, tinged with laughter, cut through the tension.

“It’s only ten,” she shot back, lifting his coat sleeve to flash his watch, her eyes bright but glassy from the booze. “You roll in at two or three A.M. all the time. I never demand you come home early.”

Xavier replied, “I’m working.”

“Oh, right, because work is supposedly more important than relaxing?” Annika poured herself another drink. “Is that Molly’s high-society crap about putting work above everything?”

Xavier frowned slightly. “Annika, she’s not just Molly. She’s your mom.”

“She’s your mom,” Annika snapped, then hesitated, as if realizing how hard that might’ve hit. In a softer voice, she added, “She never treated me like a daughter.”

The memory of that slap at the Parker estate rose up. She hadn’t flinched then—the cold wind had numbed her face. But now, fueled by the alcohol, anger surged through her veins.

Xavier slid an arm around Annika. “Let’s go home. You smell like a brewery. I’ll run you a hot bath.”

He coaxed her gently, like calming a kitten.

But Annika was no kitten. She was Annika James.

Annika burst into tears. “I said I wanted to drink a little longer! Why do you make me leave? Go find Lina. I’ll stay here and drink, and we won’t bother each other.”

Xavier’s face darkened. “Why would I go looking for her in the middle of the night?”

“Like you’ve never done that before?”

Xavier realized she was still hung up on Lina. He rubbed his temples, trying to explain. “Stuff comes up.”

Emma cut in, “Seriously? Come on! If you skipped one visit, would the world end? Remember high school, when we had to get blood tests? Just a tiny needle, and she bawled her eyes out from the sports field all the way to the classroom. I thought someone was really hurt and ran over to check. But she showed me this itty-bitty needle mark—I barely got there before it healed.”

Annika remembered that. Back then, Emma and Lina hadn’t been at odds. Emma, an art student, had been training in another building and spotted Lina crying from a distance, rushing over worried. It seemed like Lina always made a big deal out of nothing, dragging everyone into her drama until she got what she wanted. Once, Bowen and Nash had to put up with her theatrics. After Bowen died, Xavier had taken on that burden.