The Husbands: A Novel

The morning after therapy, Hayden tells Nora he washed Liv’s blue dress for school pictures. He saw it on the calendar and remembered, to Nora’s astonishment. Hayden plans to take Liv for new shoes after school and grab dinner so Nora can work. She wonders if he feels guilty for bringing up the accident. Alexis calls to invite her over, and Nora feels relief when she’s with the Dynasty Ranch wives. She asks if the HOA discriminates against stay-at-home moms, and they assure her there are several stay-at-home mothers in the development. Alexis tells Nora that Sylvia wasn’t a good fit, and she asks if Nora suspects Sylvia set the fire. Nora responds noncommittally, mentioning other leads, including the clicking noise that bothered Richard. Cornelia hasn’t heard this detail.

Nora recalls the “official version” of Liv’s accident: that Nora stepped away for one moment, then heard Liv fall. She rushed to Liv, like a good mother, and found her bleeding. Nora has learned to live with this story. She senses tension between Cornelia and Penny. Alexis tells Nora how lucky they feel to have her on their team, and the women chat, uninterrupted by Max or the kids.