Page 183 of One More Time

said, a faint smile passing over his face. “She was always smiling, and she would laugh at anything. I think that’s what first drew Sean in, you know? She had this laugh that you just couldn’t ignore.”

“That sounds nice.” I smiled and sank deeper into the couch.

“She was,” Philip said. “Telissa was a lot of things, most of them good, but she was also restless.”

“Restless?”

Philip nodded. “She wanted more out of life. Nothing was ever quite enough for her. When she and Sean met, it was intense. Crazy in a way that seemed perfect, you know? They got married, had Tommy, and everything was going great. Until, one day, it wasn’t anymore.”

“What happened?” I asked.

“Nothing shocking,” he said. “I think she just got bored. She was tired of living the same life every day. Tommy wasn’t even two yet, and she was exhausted. She lost herself for a while. Her restlessness got the better of her, and she had an affair.”

“Oh my God,” I whispered.

Philip was staring off in the distance, not looking at me. He kept talking, almost as if he were speaking to himself.

“She never told him about it,” he said. “Not for a long time. Even now, I don’t know how long the affair lasted. It could have been a couple nights or a couple years. I don’t even think Sean knows.”

“But he knows about the affair?” I asked.

Philip nodded. “She told him eventually,” he said. “After Sarah was born, Telissa got sick. She was diagnosed with cancer, and for three years, their lives revolved around treatments and hospital stays. Tommy and Sarah basically lived with me during that time. Telissa was weak and constantly sick, but she kept up her spirit, always trying to make people laugh. No matter how bad she felt, she would get on the floor and play with the kids. She refused to miss a single second with them.”

“She sounds strong,” I said reluctantly. I didn’t want to compliment the woman who cheated on Sean. “But I don’t know how he could forgive her for cheating.”

“I don’t know that he ever did,” Philip said. “When she finally told him, she was so sick that he couldn’t leave. Not without being a monster. Even when she admitted that Sarah wasn’t his daughter, he still stayed by her side. Right until the end.”

“Sarah isn’t…” I trailed off.

Philip shook his head and sighed deeply. I blinked, unsure how to process what he said. In all my time with them, I never would have imagined Sarah wasn’t Sean’s biological daughter. He loved her so much. Everything he did proved that.

“I never realized,” I said, shaking my head.

“He doesn’t talk about it,” Philip said. “I doubt he’ll ever even tell Sarah. She’s his. To him, she’s his.”

I smiled and nodded, happy to hear Philip say that. When we sat down on the couch together, I never imagined he would tell me all this. My curiosity had been innocent, but it dredged up a darker past than even my imagination could have cooked up.

“Hey,” Sean said from the foot of the stairs. “Is he bugging you? Because I’ll kick him out. Just say the word.”

“Hilarious,” Philip said, rolling his eyes. “I’m heading up anyway. Have a good night.”

He squeezed my shoulder as he passed. I watched him disappear upstairs before I turned my attention to Sean. He was smiling at me, but when he saw my face, his expression changed. The smile slipped from his lips, and he took a couple steps forward.

“Coffee?” he asked, gesturing toward the kitchen table. I nodded and followed him over.

Sean poured us each a cup of coffee and slid one over to me as he sat down in his usual chair. We were closer than normal, but it still wasn’t close enough. After everything I found out tonight, I wanted to be right beside him, to hold him and be there for him.

“So,” he said. “What’s wrong? When I came downstairs, you seemed off.”

“I just—” I began, but I paused. There was so much to say. I didn’t know where to start.

A look of panic flashed across Sean’s face. “You’re not having second thoughts about last night, are you?” he asked.

“No!” I said quickly. “Not at all. Last night was as perfect as I thought it could be.”

He relaxed in his chair and let out a relieved breath.

“Then what is it?” he asked.

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