Chương 4
"Thank you."
Cynthia blinked.
Claire almost hated how satisfying that was.
She hated even more that satisfaction existed in her at all while Liam trembled against her.
She turned off the video.
Jeffrey's shoulders dropped.
Claire immediately opened her messages.
His shoulders tightened again.
"Who are you texting?"
She did not answer.
Her fingers felt clumsy.
She typed to her sister, Mara.
Call me.
Then she typed the address.
Then, after half a second, she added, Now.
Jeffrey saw the screen.
"Why are you bringing your sister into this?"
Claire looked up.
"Because I don't trust myself to stand here alone with you."
His face changed.
Not guilt.
Offense.
The distinction was so familiar that Claire nearly laughed again.
Cynthia shook her head.
"This is unbelievable."
Claire looked at Liam's feet.
There were thin scratches along one ankle.
Not deep.
Not bleeding.
Still enough to make something inside her twist.
She tucked him higher against her.
"Where are his shoes?"
Jeffrey looked toward the hallway.
"I don't know."
"Where are his clothes?"
"Upstairs."
"His bag?"
"Probably in the guest room."
"Probably?"
"You packed it."
"I know what I packed."
Jeffrey's jaw moved.
Claire turned to Austin.
"Sweetheart, do you know where Liam's dinosaur is?"
Cynthia stepped forward.
"Do not interrogate my child."
Claire kept her voice level.
"I'm not interrogating him."
"You are."
Austin looked at his mother.
Then at Claire.
"It's outside."
Cynthia went still.
Claire's eyes moved to her.
"You said you threw it away."
"I did."
Austin shook his head.
"You put it in the trash."
"That is throwing it away."
"Dad took the bag out."
Claire looked through the large windows toward the side yard.
Two black trash bins stood near the fence.
One had its lid propped slightly open.
Liam lifted his head.
"Dino?"
Claire kissed his hair.
"We'll look."
Jeffrey stepped toward her.
"You are not digging through my trash."
Claire stared at him.
"Your trash."
He realized it too late.
Nobody spoke.
Jeffrey rubbed the back of his neck.
"This house is in my name."
Claire's mouth went dry.
It was such a Jeffrey answer that for a moment the whole room snapped into focus.
The property.
The phone.
The recording.
The inconvenience.
The accusation.
The boy in her arms did not exist in his sentence at all.
Claire slipped the phone into her jacket pocket.
"Get his bag."
Jeffrey frowned.
"What?"
"Get Liam's bag."
"You're leaving?"
"Yes."
"You can't just take him."
Claire stared at him.
The custody schedule passed between them without either saying it.
This was Jeffrey's weekend.
Normally he would have weaponized that fact immediately.
He saw Claire think of it.
His confidence began to return.
"You know what the agreement says."
Grandmother spoke before Claire could.
"Let her take him."
Jeffrey turned toward her.
"Mom."
"Let her take him."
"You don't get to decide that."
"No."
The older woman looked at Liam.
Her face tightened.
"I suppose I don't."
That sentence carried something Claire could not read.
Regret, perhaps.
Or admission.
Cynthia's voice went cold.
"If she walks out with him during your parenting time, you need to document it."
Claire looked at her.
"Document everything."
Cynthia met her eyes.
Claire felt Liam's small fingers open and close against her collar.
He whispered, "Home?"
The fury inside Claire shifted.
It did not disappear.
It simply moved behind something more urgent.
"Yes."
She rubbed his back.
"We're going home."
He gave one tiny nod.
Jeffrey disappeared upstairs.
Claire listened to each footstep until they faded.
She hated that she was counting them.
She hated that some part of her expected him to return with a lawyer, a weapon, another explanation, anything except a child's overnight bag.
Grandmother walked slowly toward Claire.
Liam recoiled.
The woman stopped immediately.
"I won't come closer."
Claire said nothing.
Her eyes looked damp, but no tears fell.
"He ate breakfast."
Claire stared at her.
The woman pressed her lips together.
"I gave him cereal."
"Okay."
"And lunch."
"Okay."
"He wouldn't eat much."
Claire's voice sharpened.
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because I don't want you to think—"
She stopped.
Claire waited.
The older woman looked toward the hallway.
Then back at Liam.
"I don't know what I want you to think."
For the first time since Claire entered the house, somebody sounded truthful.
That made it worse.
Claire's phone buzzed in her pocket.
Mara was calling.
Claire answered.
"Come to Jeffrey's."
Her sister started speaking fast.
Claire cut her off.
"Please."
A pause.
Then Mara's voice changed.
"I'm coming."
Claire ended the call.
Jeffrey returned carrying Liam's blue canvas bag.
He held it out.
Claire did not take it.
"Put it by the door."
His expression tightened.
"Claire."
"By the door."
He dropped it harder than necessary.
Liam flinched.
Jeffrey saw him.
For one terrible second, father and son looked directly at each other.
Jeffrey's anger vanished.
His face went slack.
"Liam."
The boy turned away.
Jeffrey swallowed.
"Buddy."
Liam's arms tightened around Claire's neck.
Jeffrey stood there with one hand half-raised.
Claire watched something crack behind his eyes.
It did not make her forgive him.
It did not even make her feel sorry for him.
But it made the room more complicated.
Jeffrey lowered his hand.
"I didn't mean to scare you."
Liam said nothing.
Claire felt his cheek settle against her shoulder.
Jeffrey looked at the floor.
"It was supposed to be ten minutes."
Claire's body went still.
Grandmother closed her eyes again.
Cynthia whispered, "Jeff."
He looked at Claire.
"I forgot he was in there."
Claire stared at him so long that Jeffrey's eyes dropped first.
"You forgot."
His face tightened.
"I lost track of time."
"You forgot your four-year-old son behind a blocked door."
"It wasn't blocked when I put him in there."
Austin looked up.
Cynthia shot him a warning glance before he could speak.
Claire noticed.
"So who put the chair there?"
Nobody answered.
Jeffrey rubbed both hands over his face.
May you like
"I don't know."
Austin whispered, "You did."
