Henry was miserable.

He was devastated, absolutely destroyed, by the knowledge of what had happened to Mouse. Knowing that she'd been pregnant, and that she'd lost the pregnancy, ate away at him every waking moment.

Some days the horrible realization even followed him into sleep, tormenting his dreams, turning them into terrifying nightmares. Sometimes Henry dreamed that Mouse was in a swimming pool with some kind of sea creature, and he had to watch as the killer whale or shark or whatever it was caused her to begin to miscarry, to begin to lose the baby right in the pool. He always woke up before that part, anyway. The scary, terrifying part of the dream was when he was standing on the deck, holding Leo's hand, watching Mouse in the water, and noticing the marine predator swimming in the water with her, and being unable to warn her. It didn't even attack her; all it did was swim closer and closer and brush up against her, scaring her. Then she would start to bleed, and cry.

Henry would jolt awake, covered in clammy sweat, gasping for breath, heart beating like a jackhammer in his chest. Sometimes he would get up and check on Leo to try to calm himself down.

Sometimes he would even check on Mouse as she slept. He would stand in her doorway, listening to the sound of her soft, even breaths, looking at her face, peaceful in slumber. He wanted to die, knowing what he'd done, what he'd caused to happen to her. When she was awake, she looked watchful, cautious, as if she were waiting for a blow to fall, for some unseen cataclysm to occur. It was only when she slept that she looked restful, young, unmarked by anything. He was glad that she had that.

When she was with Leo, when she was with his son, too, she looked happy and carefree. He loved to see them on the beach, playing in the sand or running in the water. The Atlantic was pretty cold, even during the summer, so they couldn't really dive in and swim, but it was nice for dipping in and cooling off, and Henry got lots of great photographs of Leo and Mouse splashing in the waves. Mouse looked magnificent to Henry, laughing as she frolicked with Leo, unselfconscious for once about how she looked, lush, curvy body on full display for his camera.

Oskar and Travis came to visit nearly every day that they were in the Hamptons, and Henry wondered if either of them had serious feelings toward his son's nanny. He didn't like to think about it.

*****************

"Oskar? I'm really sorry you came all this way and didn't get to see the city or anything," Mouse told the Swedish boy on his last day of vacation.

"Why?" Oskar asked. He waved a hand around. "I've had five days here at this beautiful place called the Hamptons, and I was able to spend time with you, and meet Travis and all those nice people from New York University at his house. It's been an absolutely delightful break for me." He smiled. "I came without telling anyone, you had no idea, Mouse, so I think I was very lucky to have such a nice time, you know?"

Mouse shrugged. "Yes, I suppose, but you just kind of walked into a mess," she said. "You got punched in the face on your first day here, you had to stay with strangers, I don't know, I wasn't a very good hostess." She smiled at him. "I am the person you came to see, after all, right?"

Oskar nodded, smiling back. "You are," he agreed. "If I might get serious for a moment?"

Mouse nodded. They were alone on the beach for the moment. Henry was still up at the house, and Travis had taken Leo down the beach to beachcomb for treasures.

"I really like you," Oskar said. He looked at Mouse, then down at the sand, digging his toes in to where it was dark and wet. "I know that we live really far apart, and we're just friends at this point, and that's fine with me. I know that something happened with Henry when you were in Greece, but I also know that whatever it was is over now, right?"

Mouse nodded, staring out at the water.

"I came here, all this way from Stockholm, because I wanted to spend a little more time with you, Martha Mouse Cameron," Oskar said with a smile. "I wanted to see if we could become better friends, to see if we could plant deeper roots, if our friendship could have the potential to grow into something more, with time and effort." He turned and scooted closer to Mouse. "And I think it could. I think it can." He took her hand from where it rested between them in the sand.

"I know that you used to date Travis," he said. "And I know that you broke up with him as well. I know that Travis still has feelings for you. Did you know that?"

Mouse nodded again. "Yeah, I know that," she admitted, squinting as she looked over at him. "I guess you guys had time to talk over at that other beach house?"

Oskar nodded and laughed. "All we do over there is drink and talk," he told Mouse. "You Americans can drink almost as much as us Swedes." He got serious again. "How do you feel about Travis, Mouse? Would you want to date him again?"

Mouse was silent, looking down the beach to where Travis and Leo were digging in the sand. Leo was looking raptly at whatever they were unearthing, and Mouse smiled.

Oskar tugged at her hand, reminding her of his question, and Mouse sighed. She finally shook her head. "No. I love Travis. But I will never be in love with him. I guess I need to tell him that."

"And me? Am I a possibility?" Mouse looked over at Oskar, who still held her hand. His blond hair was bleached almost white from his time in the sun, and his skin was already three or four shades darker. He certainly was handsome.

"Look," she began. "This is so weird for me. Guys don't go for me, they don't even notice me. My nickname's mouse, you know?" She pulled her hand from Oskar's, setting it in the sand again. "I can't believe you flew across an ocean to suprise me and spend time with me, that's just nutty." She shook her head.

"No, not nutty at all," Oskar contradicted. "You're wonderful, Miss Mouse. Funny and fun and witty, with a marvelous body and lovely eyes and smile." He looked sideways at her and grinned. "I couldn't stop thinking about you after I got back to Stockholm. I drove my flatmates crazy talking about you."

Mouse shook her head and looked away.

"Would you consider coming to Sweden to visit me?" he asked. "Maybe over the winter holiday? We could just be internet friends until then, okay? We could text and FaceTime, and all those social media things?" He leaned over so he could see Mouse's face. "What do you say?"

Mouse looked at him. "You're serious?" she asked. "You want to be pen-pals, basically?"

"Basically, yes," he replied, nodding. "With the hope of more, eventually," he added with a shy smile and a little shrug.

Mouse smiled and gave a shrug of acquiescence. "I could do that," she agreed, sitting up. "I could always use more friends, you know?" She leaned even closer to Oskar. "And you seem like you'd be a good one, Oskar Magnussen."

"Wonderful," he replied, putting a hand on her cheek. He leaned forward and kissed Mouse, softly, and she allowed it. He leaned back, looking at her, smiling a little, and did it again, parting his lips a little this time.

She kissed him back, touching his knee, enjoying the moment.

Oskar leaned back, nodding, satisfied, happy.

From the house, Henry, who had seen the whole exchange, dropped the curtain and leaned back. His stomach was in knots.

He should be happy, he knew. Mouse deserved some joy in her life, something nice. But he couldn't help the twisting he felt in his gut when he saw the Swedish boy lean in and kiss her.

He had the feeling Travis wouldn't like it, either.