Page 72 of No Greater Love
"Do I have to unpack everything today?" she asked, though she was already gathering her beach treasures—shells, the tie-dye shirt, a piece of driftwood she'd insisted was "perfectly shaped."
"Just the essentials," Nate said, popping the trunk. "We can deal with the rest tomorrow."
I was pulling our cooler out of the back when I noticed it-- a white envelope taped to the front door.
"Nate, what's that?" I asked, nodding toward the house.
He looked up from where he was gathering beach chairs. "Huh. That's weird. I don't know. Probably a delivery notice or something from a neighbor.”
I went back to organizing our sandy beach gear, making sure Paige had all her treasures accounted for. She was chattering about where she wanted to display her shells, completely oblivious to anything but the joy of being home with her vacation memories.
"Can we order pizza tonight?" she asked. "As, like, a celebration of our last vacation day?"
"I think that sounds perfect," I said, hefting her beach bag. "We can have a 'last vacation day' at home, just the three of?—"
I looked up to see that Nate had stopped moving entirely. He stood frozen by the front door, the envelope open in his hands, his face drained of all color.
"Nate?" My voice came out sharper than I intended. "What's wrong?"
He didn't answer. Didn't even seem to hear me. He just stood there, staring at whatever was in that envelope like it contained the end of the world.
"What is it?" I asked again, moving toward him.
Wordlessly, he held out the papers. My eyes scanned the official letterhead, the legal terminology, and my heart sank as the words registered.
NOTICE OF PETITION FOR MODIFICATION OF CUSTODY
Sarah Elizabeth Davis...
"Oh, Nate," I breathed. "Oh, honey."
"Hey Dad, what's wrong?" Paige's voice came from behind us, bright and curious. "You look funny."
I turned immediately, moving to intercept her before she could see Nate's face, before she could sense the wrongness that had suddenly infected our perfect homecoming.
"Nothing, baby," I said, gently steering her toward the front door. "Just some boring grown-up mail. Let's get inside and figure out that pizza situation, okay? We can make this the best last vacation day ever."
Paige looked between Nate and me, clearly sensing something was off, but she allowed herself to be guided toward the house. "Can we get the one with the garlic knots?"
"Absolutely," I said, fishing Nate's keys from his numb fingers to unlock the door. "With extra garlic. Go wash your hands and we'll look at the menu."
As Paige disappeared inside, I looked back at Nate. He was still standing there like a statue, the papers trembling in his hands.
"Just give me a minute," he said, his voice hollow. "I need... I need to understand what this means."
I nodded, my heart breaking for him. "Take all the time you need. I've got Paige."
I went inside, closing the door gently behind me, leaving Nate alone with whatever bomb had just exploded in his hands. But I could see him through the window, standing in our driveway like a man who'd just watched his whole world crumble.
Sarah. After eleven years of silence, she was back.
And she wanted Paige.
twenty-four
nate
The papers saton my kitchen counter like a live grenade, and I couldn't stop staring at them. Sarah Elizabeth Davis. The name that had once meant everything to me, then nothing, and now…
