Chapter 7
I did not drive to Maine immediately.
Every instinct told me to.
That was exactly why I waited.
Elise had run from men who believed family ties entitled them to access.
If I arrived with six black SUVs, I would prove nothing had changed.
So Audrey called Clara.
One call.
No pressure.
She said:
“My father knows part of what happened. He wants to know if Elise is safe. Nothing else.”
Then silence.
Clara hung up.
Two hours later, my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
No one spoke.
Then:
“Dad?”
My heart stopped.
Elise.
Alive.
I sat down.
“Hi.”
That was all I managed.
She started crying.
So did I.
Neither of us apologized for it.
“Is Nora okay?”
“Yes.”
First question.
Of course.
“Does she think I left her?”
My chest tightened.
“No.”
Not entirely true.
Children absorb absence.
But we never told Nora her mother chose to abandon her.
Brent tried to.
Failed.
Elise breathed shakily.
“Brent said you’d believe him.”
“I didn’t.”
“Martin said you would defend the family.”
“I am defending the family.”
Silence.
Then I added:
“Just not the people he meant.”
She cried harder.
I asked:
“Can I come?”
Long pause.
“No guards.”
“Okay.”
“No Martin.”
“Obviously.”
“No Brent.”
“Yes.”
“No questions if I don’t want to answer.”
Hard.
Necessary.
“Yes.”
She gave me an address.
Then:
“Bring Nora.”
I closed my eyes.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“And Audrey?”
Another pause.
“Yes.”
I could hear fear beneath her voice.
Not of me exactly.
Of what returning to us might restart.
Before hanging up she said:
“Dad?”
“Yes?”
“Don’t make what happened into a war.”
There it was.
The same fear that kept her from telling me originally.
I answered carefully.
“I’ll make it into consequences.”
Silence.
Then:
“That’s different.”
May you like
“Yes.”
I hoped I meant it.
