Had I missed something?
Over the next few days, I moved
through life like an actor performing a role. I made breakfast. I packed Ava’s lunch. I smiled when Daniel kissed me goodbye before work.
But every time his phone buzzed, my chest tightened.
I hated myself for the suspicion, yet I could not shake it.
Ava did not bring it up directly again, but I noticed small things. She lined up two cups at the table during playtime. She set aside a toy and whispered, “This is for him.”
“What are you doing, sweetheart?” I asked one afternoon.
“Saving some things,” she replied matter-of-factly. “For when I see my brother again.”
Each time she said it, something inside me cracked.
By Wednesday, I could not take it anymore.
I needed answers.
And I needed them from Margaret first.
I drove to her house without calling. The entire ride, my palms were slick against the steering wheel.
Margaret answered the door wearing gardening gloves. Her expression shifted from pleasant surprise to quiet alarm when she saw my face.
