He went to South Carolina to forget his ex—until he saw her on the beach with twin children who had his eyes, and one question changed everything he believed about his life.

something fragile she refused to hand over too soon.

The First Real Test

Over the next several weeks, Ethan stayed in South Carolina.

At first, he told himself it was temporary. Then he extended his rental. Then he bought car seats. Then he learned the preschool pickup line, where spare socks were kept, and the exact bedtime song Nora demanded when she continue reading …