He turned away, but not before she saw the fear in his eyes.He couldn’t, she realized with a sense of panic.He couldn’t do it without the control.To him that’s all he had.She’d grown up while she was gone, but he hadn’t learned that love without trust, without freedom, could never survive.
“Oh, Adam.”The tears fell.She didn’t bother to brush them away.
He looked at her then.“No,” he said coldly.“You’re not going to run this time.You’re not taking Billie away from me.”She shook her head.“You don’t get it.That’s not what this is about.It’s about letting yourself love somebody, and trusting them to love you back.”
The front door banged open.Billie ran in.
“I’m hungry, Mom,” she called.“When do we eat?”She came to a sudden stop and glanced up.“M-mom?”
Jane reached up to wipe her face, but it was too late.“I’m fine,” she said through the tears, then turned and fled up the stairs.
Billie stared after her, then swung her gaze to Adam.
“You made my mother cry!”
Adam felt as if he’d taken a sucker punch to the gut.“Billie, I didn’t mean—”
“Why’d you do that?I hate you.”
She ran at him and began punching his thighs.The blows were too light to cause damage, but they hurt him as much as if she’d stabbed him with a knife.Every touch of her fist was a dagger to his heart.
“Billie!No!Stop, please!This isn’t what you think.”He dropped to his knees and grabbed the girl’s hands in his.She squirmed to get away.
“I won’t let you hurt her.I won’t!”she cried.
“Hush, Billie.Listen.”She tried to twist out of his grasp.“Please.Just listen.”
His quiet voice finally got through to her.She stopped moving and stared at him.Tears rolled down her cheeks.Her nose was red and her hat askew.
“I didn’t hurt her on purpose,” he said, taking the chance and releasing her.“I’m going to go up and talk with her, but first I need to make sure you understand.”
“You made her cry,” she repeated stubbornly, wiping the back of her hand across her face.
“I know and I’m sorry.Sometimes it’s easy to hurt people we care about even though we don’t mean to.Have you ever made your mother cry?”
She stared down at her feet.“Yes.”Her voice came out as a whisper.
“Do you remember how it made you feel?”
“Bad.”
“That’s how I feel inside.I’d never hurt you or your mother on purpose.I’m going to apologize to her.Do you understand?”
She nodded without looking up.
“Billie?”He touched his index finger to her chin.She raised her head.“Are we okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Promise?”
She gave him a watery smile.“Yeah.We’re okay.”
“Can I have a hug?”
She hesitated for a second, then flung herself at him.She spoke so softly that he couldn’t hear the word at first.Then it sunk in.
“Dad.”
