Page 109 of My Mistake To Make

‘Jessie, that’s exactly what happened.’

‘No, it’s not.’ She reaches for the box and lifts the lid. ‘She didn’t inherit the house, Doug. She took it.’

She hands me a folded-up piece of paper from the box.

‘Read it.’

Leaving me alone, Jessie gets up and walks away, pulling down two glasses and filling them with water as I unfold the letter, and immediately, my blood rushes past my ears.

Dear Sweet Grandmother,

This is your darling granddaughter again. You know why I’m writing.

I’m still waiting, Roberta. The deed to the house or your precious little town will find out what kind of mother you really are.

Tick Tock, Grannie Dearest.

Love, your precious Cara

I stare are the words in my hand, disbelieving. This is low, even for Jessie.

‘What kind of bullshit is this, Jessie?’ I spit, my voice hard and cold, but she just sits calmly.

‘It’s not bullshit, Doug. There are more.’ She reaches into the box and pulls out a wad of letters, handing them to me. ‘She knows why her mama left town. She knows her grandparents did something to make her run, and she used it to get that house and the money.’ She pulls out two more documents and places them on the table. The deed to the house and a statement from the bank—a statement that has a lot of numbers on it. My eyes bulge, and my head spins.

‘If any of that were true, how the fuck would you know? How would you know what to go looking for?’

‘I didn’t. I knew I didn’t trust her, and I knew I didn’t want her around Bowie. I knew I didn’t want her taking advantage of you. When you said how you felt about her, I got scared, and I got angry. I lashed out and wanted to scare her—that’s why I broke into that house. Then I saw the box and what was inside, and I knew I had to take it—for you. I did this to protect you and Bowie, Doug.’

I glare at her, letting her words sink in and feeling my heart race in my chest, not knowing what to believe—worried that it sounds almost feasible. She came out of nowhere, and she was so freaked out over losing the box. She hated the thought of anyone looking inside.

‘I know I’ve been a real bitch. I do, but I don’t want to fight you anymore. I want you to take Bowie. I’ll sign over custody of her to you. I know I’m not a good mom, Doug, but I want to be a better person, starting with this.’

‘Why wouldn’t you come straight to me? Why did you disappear?’

‘I was scared, and I needed to process it, figure out how to tell you. I wanted to get my head straight.’

I take in her appearance for the first time since I arrived. She’s wearing jeans and a baggy flannel shirt. Her hair is back to her natural brown color and braided to the side; she doesn’t look like Jessie, not the usual Jessie. She looks calm, settled.

Taking a deep breath, I open up the other letters, and all the pieces fall into place. The beautiful, kind, sweet woman I fell in love with is someone else entirely, and I can’t let her get away with this.

I Trusted You

Cara

I smile softly asI hear the rumble of his tires on the gravel drive. He was so sweet with me last night and today and helped me get a new perspective without even realizing it. I lived thirty years without that box. If it’s gone, it’s gone. I didn’t need it before, and I don’t need it now.

The door opens as I deposit the steaks I just cooked onto the plates and smile, waiting, but when he rounds the corner into the kitchen, his expression stops my heart. He looks furious,cold, and hard and not the man I’ve fallen for, not even the grumpy man I met. He’s another Doug, one I’ve not seen before.

‘Hey, what’s wr…’

‘This yours?’ he snaps, holding out the box, and relief pours out of me in a deep exhale.

‘Oh, my god. You got it back.’ Relief sags my shoulders and i smile, until Doug’s head falls forward, and he curses loudly, confusing me.

‘Doug, what’s the matter?’

‘This is your box?’ He stares back at me, and I nod.

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