PART 4
Mom released an impatient breath. “And your father explained that we had obligations.”
“You had a party.”
“It was Whitney’s engagement dinner.”
“And I was in the hospital.”
“You survived, didn’t you?”
The words were so cold that, for a second, I felt absolutely nothing.
Aunt Evelyn closed her eyes.
Richard turned away, his jaw locked.
I looked down at Noah. His tiny mouth moved while he slept, searching for reassurance even in his dreams. He needed me to become a woman who would no longer accept scraps and mistake them for love.
“Yes,” I said softly. “I survived.”
“Good,” Mom said. “Then stop punishing everyone.”
I almost laughed.
Instead, calm settled over me.
“I’m not coming home,” I said.
Another silence.
“What does that mean?” Dad demanded, taking over again.
“It means Uncle Richard and Aunt Evelyn are taking Noah and me to Massachusetts while I recover.”
“No, they are not,” Dad said. “Claire, don’t be ridiculous.”
“You don’t get to decide.”
“I am your father.”
“You were my father last night too.”
This time, neither of them answered.
I ended the call.
May you like
For the first time in my life, I hung up before they could.
The hospital discharge took longer than we expected. A social worker came to see me because the nurse realized I did not have a safe plan for care. Her name was Denise Patel. She had gentle eyes that seemed to notice everything. In a quiet voice, she asked practical questions. Did I feel safe at home? Was there anyone I trusted? Did I have everything Noah needed? Was his father involved?
