AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m so sorry. Who cares what your father thinks? He lost the right to that when he left.” I waited for Everly to agree like she always had, but she didn’t.
She sat next to me, her expression solemn. “I went to see him.”
“You did what?” I couldn’t believe she’d done that. “By yourself?”
“I had to. You said what you did, and I had this sudden compulsion to see him for myself. To confront him. To get the answers I needed.”
I almost couldn’t breathe while I waited for her to continue.
Everly nodded. “He lives with his new wife, Sarah, and their two kids, who are fifteen and seventeen.”
“And?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. The Everly I knew would never have talked to him. It was almost like she held on to his betrayal and used it to fuel her anger and resentment. No matter how much I wanted her to have closure, I wasn’t sure she’d ever take that step.
“I need to thank you. Because you’re the reason I went.”
“That was all you.”
“I couldn’t get your words out of my head, and I had to know why it was so easy for him to walk away.”
“And what did he say?” I was almost afraid of her answer. Had he hurt her even more?
“He didn’t walk away. I mean, he did, but he wanted to take me with him. Mom refused. He wanted to visit me, but she pushed back.”
“She lied to you.” I couldn’t believe her mother had stooped so low. She’d complained about what a horrible father he was, how he’d abandoned them both, when she was the one keeping them apart. It was despicable.
“He had this box of letters and cards. All unopened and markedreturn to sender.”
I wanted to cover her hand with mine, but I held back, unsure how she would receive me. “They were for you.”
Her tear-filled eyes met mine. “He hadn’t forgotten me. He never stopped loving me.”
“But—” I was afraid to burst her bubble, but I felt like I had to say something. “He could have done more. Gone to a judge, to court, demanded he get visitation.”
“He said he knows that now. But he was a recovering alcoholic, and she said she’d use it against him. He didn’t think he had any options. He just hoped she’d come around.”
I sighed, some of the tension easing. There was relief in finally knowing the truth. I hoped she felt that too.
“And she never did.”
I shifted to rest my elbows on my thighs. “Have you talked to her?”
Everly shook her head as she pulled a used tissue from her pocket and dabbed at her eyes. “I’m not ready, but when I do, I’ll be telling her I’m done with her. She kept my father from me. My sister and brother.”
“I’m glad you finally got some answers.”
“I have a family.” Her eyes welled with tears, and I hated that I’d hurt her. I’d cut into the wound that had never healed. The one that said she was unlovable and unworthy of a family.
“You have us too. Me and Wren.” It sounded like a consolation prize after what she’d just described.
Everly’s gaze flickered to me and then away.
My heart sank. I was already too late. I’d done irrevocable damage; I’d acted like her mother, throwing out horrible words intended to hurt their target. The person I was supposed to love. What if it wasn’t fixable? “I’m happy you talked to your dad. And that he wants to have a relationship.”
“He said he wants to get together. Make it a regular thing. Introduce me to my siblings.”
“I think that’s great. You do deserve everything.” Someone better than me, with less baggage and fewer issues. Maybe someone without a kid.
Everly sighed as she stood. “I’ll help you get Wren back. Whatever you need me to do in front of the judge tomorrow.”
