He’s the father of my child and my best friend. When Hudson and I met, somehow things just clicked between us.

We had the same sense of humor and the same carefree attitude about our lives and goals. Neither of us wanted to lay down roots, we wanted to explore the world.

Then one night, too much alcohol and uncontrolled hormones led to the line blurring, and we fell into bed together only to discover a month later that we were more careless than we thought. Like the upstanding guy he is, Hudson followed me back to my hometown of Lake Starlight, Alaska, where you can’t throw a penny and not hit one of my family members.

We gave them the news that yes, we were having a baby but there would be no wedding. We loved each other but we weren’t in love.

Fast forward three years and we live side by side to make co-parenting our daughter easy. I’m a writer, and he’s a ski instructor.

We’ve worked out all the rough edges. Life is good.

Until out of nowhere, things start to change. He has a girlfriend, we’re arguing more than ever, and it feels as if someone has come along and popped our perfect bubble.

I’m not sure we’re ever going to fit back inside it now because things are developing. Things like feelings.

. .