Chapter 5 - CAROLINE’S EMAIL
Grant dismissed Evelyn from household management immediately.
But anger did not answer everything.
Two days later, while reviewing old medical correspondence, Grace found something archived in an account that had belonged to Caroline.
It was an email written before Evan was born.
Caroline to Grant.
Subject:
Promise me something
Grant opened it alone.
He had not read her old emails in years.
The message was short.
If something ever happens to me, don’t let everyone else raise our baby because you’re scared you’ll do it wrong. You will do things wrong. So will I. Stay anyway.
Grant stopped reading.
Then began again.
Our child will need you more than he needs you to be perfect.
Grant closed the laptop.
For nearly ten minutes, he sat motionless.
His wife had written the warning before there was anything to warn him about.
And he had done exactly what she feared.
He had stayed financially.
Legally.
Technically.
Evan lived in his house.
Used his name.
Was surrounded by everything money could buy.
But Grant had allowed grief to turn presence into administration.
His son had not lost one parent in childbirth.
In some ways, he had lost two.
That night Grant entered Evan’s playroom.
The boy was lining up wooden animals.
Grant sat on the floor.
No laptop.
No phone.
No therapist.
Just him.
Evan looked suspicious.
Grant picked up a wooden elephant.
“What does this guy do?”
Evan watched his mouth.
Grant made an exaggerated elephant sound.
Terrible.
Evan blinked.
Then smiled.
Grant did it again.
This time Evan laughed.
The sound was soft and uneven.
But unmistakable.
Grant laughed too.
May you like
For the first time in years, the playroom did not feel silent.
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