Chương 14
Frank’s expression changed.
Evelyn shook her head quickly.
“No, not because the records show that.”
“Then how?”
“I thought I could make them mean something else.”
Daniel turned around slowly.
“You were going to use Dad’s emails against Frank?”
Evelyn nodded.
“And then?”
“I opened the box.”
Her voice broke.
“I read one.”
Daniel stared.
“What did it say?”
Evelyn looked at him.
“He wrote that one day you might ask why he stopped fighting.”
Daniel’s throat moved.
“He said if that happened, I should tell you the truth.”
Daniel looked away.
Evelyn continued.
“He said he would rather have you angry with him than afraid in the middle of a custody war.”
Anna came back downstairs carrying Lily.
The child was sleepy now, Rosie tucked beneath her chin.
Anna had heard enough.
Her face said so.
Evelyn stood.
Anna stopped several feet away.
“I want the box.”
Evelyn nodded.
“You can have it.”
“Tonight.”
“Yes.”
“No copies withheld.”
“No.”
“No selective messages.”
“No.”
Anna looked at Daniel.
“You want to come?”
He nodded.
“Yes.”
Evelyn said, “I can bring it here.”
Anna shook her head.
“No.”
“I don’t want you in my house tonight.”
Evelyn absorbed that.
Lily looked at her grandmother.
“Grandma?”
Evelyn’s face changed immediately.
“Hi, sweetheart.”
Lily hugged Rosie tighter.
“You’re sad.”
“Yes.”
“Because Grandpa hit you?”
The room froze.
Evelyn looked at Frank.
Then at Lily.
“Partly.”
Frank stood.
Lily looked at him.
“You said no more.”
“I did.”
Evelyn surprised everyone.
“He kept that promise after.”
Lily considered this.
Then she looked back at Evelyn.
“You were mean to Rosie.”
Evelyn closed her eyes briefly.
“Yes.”
“And me.”
“Yes.”
Lily leaned her head on Anna’s shoulder.
“You say sorry.”
Evelyn’s mouth trembled.
“I am sorry.”
Lily waited.
Evelyn looked at her more fully.
“I was mean to you.”
Lily nodded.
“And Rosie.”
“And Rosie.”
The child seemed satisfied with the correction.
Adults rarely were.
Evelyn turned toward Anna.
“I am not asking you to forgive me.”
“Good.”
“I know.”
Anna held Lily closer.
“I don’t know when I’ll speak to you again.”
Evelyn nodded.
“I understand.”
“No, you probably don’t.”
“That’s fair.”
Daniel picked up his keys.
“I’ll drive.”
Evelyn looked at him.
“You don’t have to.”
“I know.”
He glanced at Anna.
“I’m getting the box.”
Anna nodded.
Frank said, “Daniel.”
Daniel looked at him.
“Get your jaw checked if it gets worse.”
Daniel touched it and managed a faint smile.
“Still controlling.”
Frank nodded.
“Working on it.”
Daniel opened the door.
Evelyn followed him.
Before leaving, she looked at Frank.
“I’m still filing the complaint.”
Frank met her eyes.
“You should do what you believe is right.”
“That is an infuriating answer.”
“I know.”
She left.
The door closed.
Anna stood in the hallway with Lily in her arms.
Frank waited.
Finally Anna said, “You should go home.”
He nodded.
“Okay.”
She looked surprised by the lack of resistance.
Frank picked up his jacket from the chair.
Lily stirred.
“Grandpa.”
He stopped.
“Yes?”
“You forgot Rosie’s dress.”
Anna looked toward the utility sink.
The small pink dress lay damp beside it.
Frank smiled.
“I did.”
Anna said, “I’ll wash it.”
Lily looked at Frank.
“You can help tomorrow.”
Frank looked at Anna.
She did not answer immediately.
Then she said, “Tomorrow afternoon.”
Frank nodded.
“Tomorrow afternoon.”
He walked to the patio and put on his muddy shoes.
Anna followed him to the door.
Outside, the backyard looked smaller than it had earlier.
The muddy patch was still there.
The bench had dried.
The fence remained slightly marked where Daniel’s shoulder had struck it.
Nothing had reset.
Frank opened the gate.
Anna said, “Dad.”
He turned.
“If the police call tonight, answer.”
“And if Marcus calls with internet stuff, don’t make decisions about Lily without me.”
“I won’t.”
“And don’t send anyone.”
“I won’t.”
Anna folded her arms.
She looked like she expected him to argue simply because he always had.
Frank said, “Anything else?”
Her expression softened by a fraction.
“Get some sleep.”
“That one I may ignore.”
Anna almost smiled.
“Of course.”
Frank stepped through the gate.
Lily called from inside.
“Grandpa!”
He turned again.
She had escaped Anna’s arms and appeared at the patio door clutching Rosie.
Frank walked back two steps.
“What?”
Lily held the doll up.
“Look.”
Rosie’s face was clean.
Her yellow hair hung wet and crooked.
Frank nodded solemnly.
“Much better.”
Lily pressed the doll against her chest.
“She’s still Rosie.”
Frank looked at the mud stain remaining on one plastic shoe.
“Yes.”
“She didn’t change.”
“No.”
Lily frowned at him.
“She just got dirty.”
Frank felt something tighten in his throat.
Anna stood behind her daughter.
Frank looked at both of them.
“Sometimes that’s all it is.”
Lily waved.
“Bye.”
“Bye, sweetheart.”
He left through the gate.
The police called at eight seventeen that evening.
Frank answered on the first ring.
He gave the same account he had given earlier.
He did not call anyone afterward.
At ten, Marcus sent a message saying the photo containing Lily had been removed by the original poster after a privacy request.
Frank replied with one word.
Thanks.
The next afternoon, he returned alone.
No bodyguards.
No black car.
No lawyer waiting nearby.
His shoulder ached more than he expected.
He parked at the curb and carried a small paper bag to the backyard.
Anna was sitting on the garden bench.
Daniel sat beside her with a dark bruise along his jaw and a hospital discharge sheet folded in his pocket.
Frank looked at it.
Daniel said, “Mild concussion.”
Frank nodded.
“I’m sorry.”
Daniel studied him.
“Yeah.”
It was not forgiveness.
Frank did not ask for more.
Anna held a cardboard storage box on her lap.
Frank stopped.
“You read them?”
“Some.”
Daniel said, “Enough.”
Frank sat on the stone path instead of the bench.
No one spoke for a while.
A lawn mower ran somewhere beyond the fence.
Lily came outside carrying Rosie in the newly washed pink dress.
She ran toward Frank.
He raised both hands.
“No mud today.”
Lily ignored him and climbed into his lap.
Anna looked at the paper bag.
“What’s that?”
Frank opened it.
Inside was a small sewing kit.
Anna stared.
“You bought sewing supplies.”
“I was told Rosie’s dress has a tear.”
Lily held up the doll.
The seam beneath one arm had opened.
Daniel laughed.
“This I need to see.”
Frank threaded the needle badly.
Anna watched him fail twice.
On the third attempt, she took the thread from his hand.
“Here.”
She showed him.
Not kindly.
Not cruelly.
Just practically.
Frank tried again.
This time the thread passed through.
Lily leaned against his chest while he made uneven stitches.
Daniel criticized every one of them.
Anna told Daniel to shut up.
Frank told Anna the stitches were structurally sound.
She told him that was not how dresses worked.
For nearly twenty minutes nobody discussed police, complaints, old emails, custody, betrayal, or forgiveness.
Rosie’s arm seam slowly closed.
When Frank finished, Lily inspected it.
“It’s ugly.”
Daniel laughed so hard he held his jaw.
Frank looked offended.
Anna covered her mouth.
Lily hugged the doll anyway.
“Can I keep it?”
Frank looked at her.
“The stitch?”
She nodded.
He smiled.
“If you want.”
She climbed off his lap and ran toward the stone path.
Anna watched her go.
“The complaint is still open.”
Frank nodded.
“I know.”
“Mom hasn’t changed her mind.”
“I know.”
“She may never forgive you.”
Frank looked at the backyard.
“I know.”
Anna rested her hands on the storage box.
“And I don’t know what I’m doing with her.”
“You don’t have to know today.”
She looked at him.
“That sounded almost healthy.”
“Don’t spread it around.”
Anna smiled.
This time she did not hide it.
Lily stopped at the edge of the muddy patch.
Rosie dangled from one hand.
Frank stood instinctively.
Then he stopped himself.
Lily looked back.
“Grandpa.”
“Yes?”
“There’s mud.”
“I see it.”
She studied the ground.
Then she stepped around it carefully and continued toward the bench.
Frank sat back down.
Anna noticed.
Neither of them said anything.
Lily reached the bench, climbed onto it, and placed Rosie beside her.
The doll leaned sideways.
Lily corrected her.
Then she looked toward Frank and Anna.
“You can come.”
Frank waited.
Anna stood first.
He followed.
They crossed the stone path without hurrying.
May you like
The mud remained where it was.
No one ordered anyone into it.
