Chapter 6 - What My Daughters Were Afraid to Tell Me
The next morning, the estate felt different.
Quieter.
But not peaceful yet.
A pediatrician examined Isabella and Mia.
Both had lost weight.
Both were mildly malnourished.
Both were expected to recover completely.
That was the only sentence I cared about.
I sat beside Isabella afterward.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
She hugged her stuffed bear.
“Lorraine said you knew.”
My throat tightened.
“Knew what?”
“That we didn’t need food.”
I closed my eyes briefly.
“She said Daddy makes the rules.”
“Lorraine lied.”
“Are you mad?”
“At you?”
She nodded.
“Never.”
Mia climbed onto my lap.
“Grace brought peanut butter.”
I almost laughed.
“Did she?”
“And bananas.”
Grace sat across the room.
“She likes bananas.”
Mia nodded seriously.
“Lots.”
I looked at Grace.
“Where were you getting the food?”
She shrugged.
“School sometimes. A church pantry. I saved things.”
“For them?”
“They were hungry.”
“You were hungry too.”
She didn’t answer.
That told me enough.
“Where have you been living?”
“With different people.”
“What people?”
“Friends of Mom. Sometimes shelters.”
“And you crossed several miles to come here?”
“Bus. Then walking.”
“Every night?”
“When I could.”
Isabella interrupted.
“Grace tells stories.”
“What kind?”
“Princess stories.”
Grace rolled her eyes.
“They’re terrible.”
“They are not!”
For the first time in days, Isabella laughed.
The sound hit me harder than I expected.
Daniel entered carrying paperwork.
“Police confirmed enough evidence to hold both Lorraine and Richard.”
“And the financial records?”
“Federal investigators are interested.”
“Good.”
He handed me another folder.
“There’s something else.”
“What?”
“Emily tried contacting you eleven times.”
I stared at him.
“When?”
“Over six years.”
“Lorraine intercepted everything?”
“Looks that way.”
Daniel placed letters on the table.
All addressed to me.
All unopened.
I looked toward Grace.
Her mother had tried.
Sophia had tried.
Grace had tried.
The only person who had failed to look closely enough was me.
Grace stood.
“I should go.”
“Where?”
She shrugged.
“Wherever.”
“No.”
She froze.
I softened my voice.
“You’re eleven years old. ‘Wherever’ isn’t a plan.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“I know.”
“Then—”
“That doesn’t mean you should have to.”
She stared at me.
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying we’ll find the proper legal arrangement.”
Her guard immediately rose.
“I’m not charity.”
“I didn’t say you were.”
“I don’t want money.”
“Good.”
She frowned.
“Good?”
“I have plenty of people who want my money.”
Isabella raised her hand.
“I want money.”
I looked at her.
“You’re four.”
“For ice cream.”
Daniel turned away to hide a smile.
Grace laughed.
Just once.
I looked at her.
“You protected my daughters when every adult around them failed.”
She swallowed.
“I just fed them.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“You showed up.”
The room became quiet.
I continued.
“You can stay here while we work out what happens next.”
Grace looked toward Isabella.
Then Mia.
“Can I still sleep near them?”
Mia immediately shouted, “YES!”
I smiled.
May you like
“I think that decision has been made for me.”
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