Page 78 of Desolation

“We miss you, Mommy.”

My heart breaks at those words. I should be home with them. Not traipsing along with some guy I only met a few weeks ago with a guise that I am out here working. “I’ll be home soon.”

“How soon?” she whines.

I bite my lip. I hate lying to her because I really don’t know how soon I will be home. But I need to give her something. “Next week. I am just finishing up the project I was getting done for work.”

Her face lights up. “Yay! I want you to be home in case my tooth falls out.”

She pulls her lip up and wiggles one of her teeth that is loose.

“I hope I make it home for that too. How’s Olivia?”

“She’s still sleeping. She stayed up late last night waiting for Daddy to tuck her in.”

My heart stops at that. “Your dad’s at Grandma’s?” I ask, keeping my voice as steady as possible.

“Yeah. He surprised us last night. He came by for dinner.”

“That was nice of him. I know Grandma loves it when he can stop by.” Not totally a lie. But I know she could care less. “Why didn’t he tuck Olivia in at bedtime?” I am prying but she’s a nine-year-old girl, she doesn’t know any better.

She shrugs. “Grandpa and Daddy were fighting. Olivia wanted him to read her a story and he yelled at her to leave them alone. I tried to do it but she kicked me out of her room. She only wanted Daddy to read to her.”

I clench my fist under the table. He doesn’t need to take out his anger with his father on the girls. “I’m guessing he finally did.”

She shrugs again. “I don’t know. When I woke up this morning to feed the horses he was already gone. He said he was going to stay for breakfast though and he didn’t.”

Why the hell did he fly out to Boston for only a night?

“I’m sorry he didn’t stay, Mak.”

She slouches in the oversized wingback chair she is sitting in, her chin propped up by her hand. “It’s okay. I don’t think he wanted to be here anyway. He argued with Grandpa and he kept asking about you.”

“He kept asking about me?” I start to panic.

She nods. “Yeah, he wondered where you were.”

“What did you say?” I try to keep my tone as normal as possible.

“That you were working.” She looks away then starts to talk quietly. “Mommy, I know something strange is going on. Dad never cares about what you are doing but he kept asking so many questions. It was weird.”

We haven’t told the kids yet about the divorce. I know I would tell Makayla first. She’s so smart and she would take it with a grain of salt. She would research everything to make sure she understood. “Mak—”

“I know you are divorcing, Mom.”

My eyes bulge out. “How… what?”

She looks back to wherever she was looking before. “I’ve heard you talking about it to Grandma. I’ve seen letters in the mail. I know how to use Google, Mom.”

I don’t know what to say to that. How am I supposed to answer her?

“Look, I know you wanted to keep it from us. And trust me, Olivia has no idea. And I won’t tell her. I just wish you told me.”

I sigh into the phone as I look at my daughter. This girl is so smart. I should have known I couldn’t keep a secret like this from her. “I wanted to tell you.”

She nods. “Dad doesn’t want a divorce.”

I choke on the glass of water I was sipping. “What?” I shriek.

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