Chapter 5 Where Do I Sign?

(Sienna's POV)

Just before the cab turned the corner, I called Damian.

Through the rear window, I watched him keep hold of Lana's hand as he answered the phone. "Sienna?"

"Where are you?"

"At the office. Just got out of a meeting. What's up?"

I watched him. Lana leaned in like she wanted to say something. Damian held up a hand to stop her, pointed at the phone, and pressed a finger to his lips. Lana giggled and nestled quietly against his shoulder.

"Want some of that matcha cake from the place on Bleecker Street? I'll bring you some after work."

"No, thanks."

"Isn't that your favorite? You always get in line for it whenever we walk by."

"That was before," I said. "People change. You can stop liking something you used to love."

The line went quiet for two seconds. Then Damian sounded tense. "Sienna, did something happen? You don't sound right."

"No. Go back to work. I won't bother you."

I hung up. Through the rear window, I watched Damian slip his phone back into his pocket and lean down to kiss Lana's forehead.

At six that evening, Damian came home carrying a cake box.

I was sitting on the rug sorting through our old photo albums. We'd known each other so long that there were five albums from our high school and college years alone. Prom, our first trip to the beach, him waiting outside my college dorm with flowers...

Damian set the cake down, crouched behind me, and half wrapped me in his arms. "Why are you looking at old pictures?"

"How come you're home early again?"

"I missed my wife. I came home to be with you."

I put the albums into a cardboard box one by one and quietly slipped the lighter I'd been holding into the pocket of my jeans. I'd assumed he'd be out with Lana until late, and I'd planned to burn every one of these photos tonight. Him coming home early had wrecked my plan.

"What, you're not happy I'm home early?"

I stood up, stepping out of reach of his hand. "Work comes first."

Damian followed and pressed up against me. "Nothing's more important than you." He put his lips to my ear. "Sienna, you've been so cold to me lately. Did I do something wrong?"

Once, when he held me like this, I would've felt happy. Now all I could think was that this hand had just been holding another woman's, and this mouth had just kissed another woman's forehead.

There was a faint scent of white tea on his shirt collar. It wasn't his cologne. It was the scent that always hung in the jewelry store. I'd been going there for three months straight. I knew that smell better than anything.

A wave of nausea hit me. I shoved him away, ran into the bathroom, and threw up over the toilet until I was shaking all over.

Damian followed me in, patting my back and handing me tissues, his brows drawn tight. "Why are you suddenly throwing up? Did you eat something bad? Martha!"

Martha came hurrying in. "Mr. Foster?"

"What did she have for lunch? Was anything off? She has a sensitive stomach. Taking care of what she eats is the whole reason I hired you."

Martha looked lost. "Mrs. Foster didn't eat lunch at home. She said she had something to take care of and went out. Maybe it was something she ate while she was out?"

Damian's face darkened. "You never know what goes on in restaurant kitchens. If you want something, have Martha make it. Why do you have to go out to eat?"

Dizzy from throwing up, I felt my temper flare at his words. "Damian, are you planning to lock me up in this house? I'm not even allowed to go out now?"

"I'm worried about you. From now on, tell me where you want to go, and I'll take you."

I laughed out loud. "You have time for that?"

Between the company and Lana, when exactly do you find the time?

Damian looked at me for a moment, then pulled out another tissue and wiped the sweat from my forehead. "Why would you say that? When it comes to you, I'll always have time. Sienna, after all these years, don't you know how I feel about you?"

How he feels? I can't read him anymore.

"Oh my goodness!" Martha suddenly clapped her hands. "Mrs. Foster's been out of sorts lately, and now she's suddenly throwing up. Could she be... pregnant?"

Damian froze, and then his whole face lit up with joy. "Sienna, are you..."

"No," I said. "I just smelled something gross, and it made me sick."

"No, we're still going to the doctor tomorrow to make sure..."

"Damian!" I snapped under my breath. "How many times have you touched me in the last three months? Don't you know?"

For three months, Damian had barely eaten dinner at home. Every time, he said he had a business dinner and had already eaten.

At first I didn't think much of it. A man in his position had people lining up to take him out. Then one day I was watching a show at home and heard a character say, "When a man stops eating at home, it's usually because he's getting fed somewhere else."

That was when I understood that 15 years didn't prove anything. He really had loved me back then. And now, just as truly, he loved someone else.

Damian's face fell. "So that's what this is about. I'm sorry. Work's been crazy lately, and I've been neglecting you. I promise, from now on I'll come home and have dinner with you every night. Okay?"

"Don't bother. Go do your thing. I wouldn't want to keep you from your 'important business.'"

"Sienna, don't say things you don't mean."

"Damian, you think I don't mean it?"

Damian looked away for a split second. "...I don't know what you're talking about."

My eyes landed on his wrist. He was wearing a braided red cord bracelet. No diamonds, and the workmanship was a little rough. It was obviously handmade, with a tiny moon-shaped metal charm hanging from it.

Damian saw me looking and explained right away. "Oh, this? The company held a charity sale last week. Admin handed one out to everybody."

"Really."

"You like it? I'll have admin get you one tomorrow."

"Don't bother. I don't like wearing jewelry."

"I know." Damian smiled. "Necklaces, bracelets, rings, you don't like wearing any of it. Every birthday, every anniversary, I never know what to get you."

I laughed bitterly to myself. He knew I never wore jewelry, and still, three straight months of me swiping his card at a jewelry store hadn't tipped him off.

But I kept my mouth shut. This was my chance to get him to sign the power of attorney.

"There's something I want. Will you get it for me?"

Damian's face lit up. "Of course. What do you want?"

"I want to buy an asteroid and name it after me."

"That's easy." Damian already had his phone out. "I'll have Evan take care of it..."

"No need. I've already picked one out. It just needs your signature to authorize it, and then the bank can release the payment."

"Where do I sign? I'll sign right now."

"There's no rush. They're mailing the paperwork in a few days. I'll bring it to you when it comes."

"Okay."

"You go on out. I want to change."

Damian laughed. "After all these years, you're still shy?"

"I just don't like being watched while I change."

Damian kissed my forehead. "Okay, whatever you say. I'll wait for you in the dining room. Hurry down when you're done."

The door closed. I took out my phone and opened Instagram. The first post in my feed was one Lana had just put up.

The photo was of those pretty hands of hers. She was wearing two bracelets: the one Damian had run into traffic for today, and a braided red cord with a star-shaped metal charm.

The caption read, "Almost lost the first present he ever gave me today, but he got it back for me. I made him one too, and he says he'll wear it forever. You're my moon, I'm your star."

I stared at that star and thought of the moon on Damian's wrist.

A matching pair.