Mike felt his chest tighten. It wasn’t distrust, not exactly. He loved Eleanor. He respected her. But since Maxine had been born, the circle of people he trusted with her well-being had narrowed until it was almost painfully small. Himself. Carrie. That was it. Everyone else—even family—felt like a risk he hadn’t agreed to calculate.
“It’s temporary,” Carrie said quickly, as if she sensed the hesitation before he voiced it. “Just until we figure something else out.” Temporary made it easier to nod. Easier to tell himself that this wasn’t giving something up—just borrowing help.