The parking garage was quiet, which made the man's and the woman's voices carry with painful clarity.
I pressed my hands over Marilyn's eyes, terrified she might see something no child should witness.
The woman's voice was syrupy, dripping with a breathy softness that could melt bone.
"Alberta has every right to resent me. After all, if it weren't for me, she and Marilyn wouldn't have had to go through any of this."
The man's voice was rough, thick with the kind of rasp that only came from one thing.
"Don't say that. The decision was mine. If she has a problem, she can take it up with me."
"Besides, medical technology is advancing so fast these days. There'll be a solution eventually. I'll make it up to them both."
...
I choked back my tears, scooped Marilyn into my arms, and left the parking garage. I hailed a cab and went straight home.
The moment we walked through the door, Marilyn burst into tears and threw herself into my arms.
"What was Daddy doing with that lady just now? And what did she mean at the party, all those things she said?"
"Has Daddy been lying to us this whole time? Does he not love me and Mommy? Does he love that lady and her daughter instead?"
"Mommy's chest always hurts, and I can't even go to the bathroom like a normal kid. Is it because of them?"
Marilyn was six years old. She understood more than enough of what adults said.
And children's hearts were the most sensitive of all. I didn't want to hide it from her anymore.
"Marilyn, would you be willing to leave with Mommy?"
She pulled free from my arms and looked me straight in the eyes.
"Yes. Daddy doesn't love us. I don't want Daddy. I only want Mommy."
A wave of bitter anguish crashed through me. Regret for my own stupidity. Heartbreak that my little girl had been forced to grow up so fast.
Just then, the phone rang. It was my brother.
"The jet's here. Let's go."
"I found something on my end. Come to me first, and we'll figure out the rest together."
The second I hung up, I rushed Marilyn through a quick wash, changed us both into fresh clothes. I was afraid Thaddeus might come back at any moment, so I didn't even pack a bag. I grabbed my bank card and my ID and hurried to the airport.
Thaddeus. Monica.
The next time we meet, I'll have a gift for you both.
