Chapter 2: The Woman at the Door
The woman at the door was young.
Maybe twenty-six.
Dark hair, tired eyes, and a look on her face like she'd been rehearsing this moment for a long time.
"I'm Lauren.
Ava's mother."
I couldn't move.
Behind me, I heard Cynthia's sharp intake of breath.
"You need to leave," Cynthia said.
"Right now."
"Mom." Dave's voice was low.
A warning.
Lauren didn't flinch.
She looked past me, straight at Dave.
"She wasn't supposed to be left alone.
My sister was meant to bring her to you.
Something happened and I—" Her voice broke.
"I just need to know she's safe."
"She's safe," I said.
Somehow my voice stayed steady.
Ava came running from the kitchen.
"Mama!"
Lauren dropped to her knees and held her tight.
I watched Dave watch them.
He didn't look like a man seeing a stranger.
He looked like a man seeing something he had tried very hard to forget.
I turned to Cynthia.
"You knew."
She said nothing.
But her silence was loud enough.
"How long?" I asked.
She picked up her tea.
Set it back down.
"That is a conversation for another time."
"No," I said.
"It's a conversation for right now."
Lauren stood up slowly, still holding Ava's hand.
She looked at me with something close to pity.
"There's something else you need to know.
Something Dave never told you."
She reached into her bag.
And pulled out an envelope.
---
What's inside that envelope — and how much has Dave been hiding?
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