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Shaking my head in an attempt to pull myself out of that state, I headed back downstairs, made some coffee, and plopped onto a stool. Coffee in hand, letter in the other, I read through it more times than I cared to count. No new insights were made clear with the additional study; I was stuck in a disbelieving loop.
I picked up my phone. If she left, I wanted to hear her say why. I dialed her line and waited. No answer. The second dial brought no response, either. On the third, the call cut off midway. She wasn't willing to speak with me.
I put both the letter and coffee aside, burying my face in my hands. I had hoped we would have more time together, and if she did leave my employment, it would be on better terms. I hoped we would still get to see, talk and be with each other. Not like this. Why wouldn't she speak to me? Didn't she think I'd understand? Why be a martyr when I wasn't asking her to?
A part of me recognized the safety issues for the boys. They were always my top priority, but Violet had become my priority, too. She'd shown me that I didn't like my life as it was before. Work, my sons, and the occasional hook-up. I wanted something real. Something meaningful. She gave me that. Now she took it all away.
I drained my coffee and went into my office. My head was a mess of questions only Violet could answer. I should work to distract myself. I managed to do so for fifteen minutes before I gave up.
Violet was gone.
Where was she? Was she safe? Was anyone with her? Then it clicked. Tony and his men would have seen her leave. I called him and waited.
“Morning, sir.”
“Tony, did you see Violet leave the building today?” I asked.
He paused as if considering, then answered, "Yes, sir."
“She left the building and you didn’t notify me?”
“She said she was no longer your employee and our services were no longer needed,” he said evenly, despite my raised voice.
I gritted my teeth. Of course, she wanted to cut all ties.
I ended the call, clutching it in my grip. This couldn't be the end for Violet and me. We'd barely scratched the surface of all we could be together. And without a doubt, I wanted to go deeper. Find out what made her tick, down to the little things. Not send her off because of some stalker.
I would text her. If she wouldn't speak to me, at least she would read my text.
Violet, I don't hold whatever happens with Eric against you. Come back to me.
I clenched my jaw, continuing.
We'll figure something out. You don't have to leave.
There was so much more to say, but I pressed send. I held my phone, staring at the screen, hoping it would pop with a message, but none came. She was gone and wasn't speaking to me.
I settled in my chair and set my phone aside. The boys would be back soon and needed someone to look after them. My businesses demanded irregular hours, and I had to be available to travel when necessary. I needed to find a replacement.
Flipping my laptop open, I headed to the agency's website and browsed through the available profiles. None impressed me. None of them was Violet. Could they play video games with the boys? Run around all day? Would they write little notes and put them in their bags to brighten their day? Would the boys love them as they did Violet?
Getting frustrated, I pushed the laptop aside and tried to focus on work. Anything to get my mind off Violet. What would she be doing now? What if Eric got to her? There was no need for Tony and his men now, but what if she replied and decided to come back? I picked up my phone and stared at the screen. She hadn't seen my text. Or chose to ignore it.
A call popped in, and my eyes widened. Too excited, I answered before I looked at the caller ID.
“Violet?”
“Dad!” Leon's voice. “Brady and I are coming home now. Violet's not answering our calls.”
"Violet's gone away for a bit," I said just so they wouldn't be too surprised when they came home and didn't see her.
“When will she be back?”
The innocence in his tone crushed my heart. “Just come home, okay? I'm here.”
The call ended, and I put away my phone. I pulled myself out of the funk I was in for my boys’ sake and headed back downstairs. By the time they got to the house, I'd made a small lunch for them.
We ate in the kitchen, and while they were excited to tell me about their sleepover, I tried to distract myself with food and struggled to find my enthusiasm. All I could think of was they would soon realize Violet was gone and she wasn't coming back, and there was nothing I could do about it. When we finished, they ran and played while I went back to my study.
