My heart ached at those words. I wanted to believe him, to let the warmth of them sink into me, but I couldn’t. My husband hadn’t called me beautiful in so long that the word felt foreign, like a lie meant to soothe me. I shook my head quickly, my eyes darting away, fresh tears threatening to fall. “Don’t… don’t say that,” I murmured, my voice breaking. “You’re only trying to make me feel better.”

But Jamie didn’t move back. His hand cupped the side of my face now, his ...