Page 84 of Finders Keepers

“Ms. Lucy, I—”

“That man has done nothing but care for you and Sophie since the day he met you two,” she admonishes, her voice stern, pointing in the direction of his truck. “And you just threw that care back in his face like it meant nothing.”

Tears burn the back of my eyes, blurring the edges of her silhouette.

“You don’t understand—”

“No, you don’t understand,” she cuts me off, taking a step closer. “Fear is a powerful thing, Bailey, but letting it drive away the people who love you? That’s not protection, that’s self-sabotage. And you are better than that.”

“That’s not fair!” I snap, my voice rising with a defensive edge I can’t control. “You have no idea what I’m dealing with. None of you do!” The tears I’ve been fighting spill over, hot streaks down my cheeks that I angrily swipe away. “I’m trying to protect my daughter, to protect everyone!”

She doesn’t flinch at my outburst. She stands there, solid as an oak tree, weathering my storm with the patience of someone who’s seen far worse.

“And how exactly does pushing away a good man protect anyone?” she asks, her voice softening just enough to make my defenses crack further.

“Because—” My voice catches, the words tangling in my throat. “Because when Matt finds us, he’ll hurt anyone who’s close to me. That’s what he does. He destroys everything I care about.”

The admission hangs in the night air between us. Cricket songs fill the silence as she steps closer, her face illuminated by the porch light.

“So you’re throwing away something real and good because of what ‘might’ happen?” She shakes her head slowly. “Child, that’s giving that monster power that he doesn’t deserve.”

I sink down onto the porch steps, my legs suddenly unable to hold me up. The truth of her words hit me like a tidal wave. The image of Gavin’s face, the hurt and confusion in his eyes, flashes through my mind. The way his shoulders slumped as he walked away. The sound of his truck engine fading into the distance.

“What have I done?” I whisper, more to myself than to Ms. Lucy.

She eases down beside me on the step, her knees creaking slightly. “Nothing that can’t be fixed with some honesty.”

I shake my head, staring at my hands. “You don’t understand. Gavin deserves someone whole. Someone without all this… baggage.”

“Seems to me,” she says, “that man knows exactly what he wants. And it’s you, baggage and all.”

The full realization of what I’ve just thrown away settles over me. A good man. A chance at happiness. The possibility of trust and safety that I’ve been craving for so long.

“I have to fix this,” I whisper.

Her expression softens by a fraction, the corners of her mouth turning up slightly seeing my realization. “Yes. You do.”

“Please, can you stall the party until we get back?” I plead, already standing up. “Just keep everyone occupied for a little while longer. Please, I promise I won’t be too long.”

Twenty minutes later, I’m sitting in my dark car outside Gavin’s gate, staring at the keypad through my open window.

The gate to Gavin’s property stands closed, a barrier I hadn’t anticipated. Last weekend when Sophie and I came over for dinner, it had been wide open, welcoming us in without a second thought.

Was that really only a week ago? It feels like months have passed since Sophie pressed her little hands into the bowl of cheese, giggling as Gavin encouraged her to make a cheese mountain on the dough.

With Ms. Lucy’s words still coursing through me, I pull out my phone and tap on his name, my heart thundering so hard I can barely breathe.

“Please pick up. Please pick up. Please.” I whisper into the nothingness, my fingers drumming anxiously against the steering wheel. Each ring feels like an eternity, the silence between them stretching out like a physical pang.

It rings four times before he answers, his voice guarded and distant and why shouldn’t it?

“Hello?”

“Gavin!” I blurt out, my voice laced with anxiety, my fingers now clutching the steering wheel for support. “I’m outside your gate. I… I don’t know the code. Please let me in so I can explain myself.”

There’s a long pause, filled only with the sound of his breathing, and for a moment I think he might hang up, that he won’t give me a chance to explain. Then I hear him sigh, the sound heavy with emotion.

“Why are you here, Bailey?”

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