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silent. Then, “With nearly losing Butter, maybe Mom is reliving all that pain again.”
    Since when had Darek gotten so insightful? “You sound like an old married man.”
    Darek laughed. “I am. And . . . I’m going to be a dad again.”
    John looked at him, and Darek grinned. Nodded.
    “Really. When?”
    “Sometime this spring. Ivy just found out this week. Don’t tell Mom yet   —we’re going to surprise her at Christmas.”
    “I’m not sure you should wait that long.”
    “Ivy’s idea. She wants to give Mom a picture of the ultrasound for Christmas.”
    “Another good reason why leaving for Christmas wasn’t my best idea.” John finished nailing the bottom plate and set down the gun. “But I have to admit: I never thought it would land me in the doghouse.”
    “It’s not the trip, Dad. Mom’s upset about Owen and Casper. And the fact that they’re fighting. And maybe, yeah, this Butter thing has stirred up the past. Maybe she’s just seeing an end too soon to her mothering.” He positioned himself on the far end of the wall, next to John.
    “I thought she’d be thrilled to have the house to ourselves. You know, with Naked Tuesday and everything.”
    Darek looked at him, appalled. “Really? You had to say that?”
    John grinned.
    Darek shook his head. “Pick up that end and start acting like my father.”
    John laughed. “On the count of three.”
    Darek counted and they lifted the wall together, moving it into place. John held it as Darek tacked in the wall braces.
    “I just want to help her realize that there’s so much more ahead of us. Vacations and new hobbies, and maybe she’ll even get me to take dance lessons.”
    “Who are you, and what have you done with my stick-in-the-mud father?” Darek finished tacking the last board. He walked over to the framed-in windowsill and grabbed a Coke.
    John chuckled. “So maybe dance lessons are a little overboard. But that’s the point   —if we want to take dance lessons, now we can. And your mom needs to see that.”
    “And you’re going to prove it to her.”
    “Just because we can’t go to Europe doesn’t mean we can’t   —”
    “If you say ‘have Naked Tuesdays,’ I’m throwing my hammer at you.”
    “Have fun. Be young again. Do those carefree things we used to do before you came along.”
    “Blame it all on me, huh?”
    John sat down on the steps, staring out at the lake. “Once upon a time, we’d spend afternoons swimming in this lake or hiking up to Honeymoon Bluff or lying under the sky, debating cloud shapes. I miss that. It feels like it’s been a while since I heard her laugh.”
    Behind him, Darek said nothing. John finally turned, and Darek gave him a long, enigmatic look, then sighed.
    “What?”
    “Mom laughs, Dad. She laughs with Tiger and Ivy.”
    But she didn’t laugh with her husband   —not anymore   —and that realization stung as it filtered inside. Worse, he couldn’t pinpoint when she had stopped.
    The wind scattered leaves in the dirt yard and tumbled a Coke can from the steps. John ran after it, catching it. Somehow, he needed to figure out how to make his wife laugh again.
    “I gotta knock off. Ivy’s going to the doctor today, and I have to pick up Tiger from school.” Darek took off his tool belt. “I’ll be here tomorrow morning. However, I won’t stop by the house, since it’s Tuesday.”
    John grinned at him, and Darek winked, headed out tohis truck. John watched his broad-shouldered son saunter away. I’m going to be a dad again.
    Yeah, those had been good years. But maybe he didn’t have to wait for a trip to Europe   —or a special occasion   —to reignite his marriage.
    Maybe he could do it today, right now. On a Monday afternoon.
    He put a cover over the table saw, tarped the other tools, then headed to the lodge.
    “Ingrid?”
    He heard her humming upstairs. Untying his boots, he left them in the entryway and found her in the boys’ bedroom, remaking Owen’s