Chương 10
His wife picked at one fingernail.
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Start with what you did.”
She gave him a tired look.
“You make it sound simple.”
“It isn’t.”
“Then stop talking like it is.”
Frank nodded.
She was right.
Apology had become another word people threw around as if saying it automatically produced courage.
Sometimes admitting something made the next hour much worse.
His wife opened her contacts.
She found the number and stared at it.
Frank waited.
She pressed call.
The phone rang twice.
Then a woman answered.
Frank could not hear the words.
His wife sat straighter.
“Hi.”
A pause.
“No, he’s okay.”
Her face tightened.
“Yes, I know he called you.”
Another pause.
“No.”
She swallowed.
“I need to tell you exactly what happened.”
Frank moved toward the hallway.
His wife lifted one hand.
Not to stop him.
Just to keep him nearby.
He remained by the doorway.
“I was angry with Ava.”
She listened.
“No, that’s not an excuse.”
Another pause.
“I told Eli to hit her.”
Frank watched her close her eyes.
“Yes.”
She listened for several seconds.
“No, she’s three.”
Her voice cracked slightly.
“Yes.”
A much longer silence.
His wife’s shoulders drew inward.
“I understand.”
Frank looked away.
The woman on the other end was no longer speaking quietly.
Even from across the room he could hear the force of her voice, though not the words.
His wife took it.
She did not interrupt.
Finally she said, “You’re right.”
Another burst of words.
“I know.”
She wiped one eye.
“I’m not asking you to forgive me.”
Frank looked back.
“No.”
She shook her head as if the other woman could see her.
“He is not responsible for what I told him to do.”
The line went quiet for a moment.
His wife’s breathing changed.
“Yes.”
A pause.
“Of course.”
Her fingers tightened around the phone.
“I’ll stay away.”
Frank watched that land.
The woman spoke again.
His wife whispered, “Okay.”
Then the call ended.
She placed the phone on the table carefully.
Frank came closer.
“She doesn’t want me around Eli.”
“For how long?”
“She didn’t say.”
His wife laughed once, bitterly.
“I suppose that’s the point.”
Frank sat across from her.
“She’s angry.”
“She should be.”
“Yes.”
His wife looked toward the family room.
“I keep thinking about his face.”
Frank waited.
“When I told him to do it.”
She pressed her fingertips against her forehead.
“He looked scared.”
Frank said nothing.
“I saw it.”
Her voice dropped.
“And I kept going.”
The sentence stayed between them.
Frank folded his hands.
His wife stared down.
“I knew he didn’t want to.”
That was different.
Frank felt it immediately.
Not because the act changed.
Because her understanding of it did.
He asked, “Why?”
Her eyes filled again.
“Because I thought hesitation meant softness.”
Frank breathed out slowly.
“And now?”
She looked toward the dark window.
“Now it looks like he knew something I didn’t.”
Frank sat back.
The answer was not elegant.
It was better than elegant.
It was true.
His wife rubbed her palms together.
“I made him choose between me and what he thought was right.”
“Yes.”
“He chose me.”
“He’s nine.”
“I know.”
She nodded to herself.
“That’s worse.”
Frank did not disagree.
His phone buzzed again.
This time it was Mark.
He answered.
“Hello.”
“We’re home.”
Frank straightened.
“How is she?”
“Quiet.”
Ava was usually never quiet.
Mark continued.
“She wanted a bath.”
“Okay.”
“Rachel’s with her.”
Frank waited.
“The doctor documented the bruising.”
“I know.”
“Rachel told you?”
“She told my wife.”
Mark paused.
“Right.”
Frank could hear a cabinet door close in the background.
“What happens now?”
Mark took a breath.
“We filed a report.”
Frank looked across the table.
His wife saw his face.
Her hands stopped moving.
“What kind of report?”
“The urgent care doctor said because Ava described being physically restrained and hit, they had to follow their process.”
Frank’s mouth went dry.
“So someone called?”
“Yes.”
“Police?”
“Not immediately.”
Mark’s voice remained careful.
“A child-protection hotline.”
Frank looked at his wife.
She had gone pale.
Mark continued.
“They said someone may contact us tomorrow.”
Frank rubbed the back of his neck.
“Okay.”
“And Rachel wants it documented with the police too.”
“Tonight?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
Frank looked at his wife again.
She stood abruptly.
“Tell him I’ll cooperate.”
Frank held up one hand.
Mark heard her anyway.
“What did she say?”
“She said she’ll cooperate.”
Mark was silent.
Then he said, “Good.”
Frank turned slightly away from his wife.
“What about me?”
Another pause.
“What about you?”
“My part.”
Mark exhaled.
“Frank, I don’t know.”
“I hit her.”
“I know.”
“I hit the guard.”
“I know.”
“If there’s a report, I’m part of it.”
“Yes.”
Frank looked at his knuckles.
“Then I’ll cooperate too.”
Mark was quiet.
“Okay.”
Frank heard something behind him.
A small voice.
Ava.
He stood automatically.
“Is she there?”
“Yes.”
“Can I talk to her?”
Mark hesitated.
Frank heard Rachel murmur something.
Then Ava’s voice came closer.
“Grandpa?”
Frank closed his eyes.
“Hey, sweetheart.”
“I have bubbles.”
He smiled despite himself.
“Bath bubbles?”
“Yes.”
“What color?”
“White.”
“That sounds right.”
Ava was quiet.
Then she said, “Mommy says I don’t have to sleep there.”
Frank’s smile disappeared.
“No, sweetheart.”
“Are you mad?”
“No.”
“At Grandma?”
Frank looked across the table.
His wife was staring at him.
“Yes.”
The answer came gently.
“But that’s grown-up stuff.”
Ava considered this.
“Grandma hurt my arm.”
Frank’s throat tightened.
“I know.”
“She said stop moving.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Why?”
“Because I wish I’d been there sooner.”
A pause.
“You came.”
The words nearly broke him.
“I did.”
“Then you hit Grandma.”
Frank looked at the floor.
“Yes.”
“Are you bad?”
His wife turned her face away.
Frank sat down slowly.
“No.”
He stopped.
The answer felt too fast.
Too easy.
“I did a bad thing.”
Ava was silent.
Frank continued.
“I shouldn’t have hit her.”
“But she was mean.”
May you like
“Yes.”
“Then why not?”
