Chapter 6 - What the Children Heard
Emma came down two steps.
“Is Daddy leaving again?”
The question silenced every adult.
Daniel looked up.
“Sweetheart, go back upstairs.”
Margaret turned toward him.
“Answer her.”
He stared at his daughter.
“I’m figuring things out.”
Emma hugged the coloring book against herself.
“You said it was work.”
Daniel had no answer.
Claire climbed the stairs and knelt carefully in front of both children.
“This is not your fault,” she said. “Nothing happening downstairs is because of either of you.”
Noah reached for her.
Claire lifted him and held Emma’s hand.
When she returned, Vanessa had moved away from Daniel.
“I didn’t know,” Vanessa said.
Claire believed that she knew Daniel was married.
But she also believed Vanessa had been given a carefully edited version of that marriage.
Margaret faced her son.
“You will return the trust money.”
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“You think Claire deserves everything because she made the house look sad before you arrived?”
Margaret’s expression hardened.
“No. I think your children deserve heat.”
She removed the black pickup’s spare key from Daniel’s key ring.
The vehicle was registered to the trust.
“You cannot take my truck.”
“It is not your truck.”
Daniel looked around for support.
Vanessa would not meet his eyes.
Claire stood with the children behind her.
Margaret held the key.
He had returned expecting to control two women with separate stories.
May you like
Instead, both stories had collided.
And neither woman believed him anymore.
