Chapter 13 - No Deal
“You didn't,” Grant said.
“She was wrong to make you think you did.”
Rose's forehead creased.
“Even when I was loud?”
“Even then.”
“Even if I broke something?”
“We would fix what we could. You would still deserve love.”
She nodded slowly, collecting the answer without quite knowing where to put it.
The weeks that followed were uneven.
Her arm healed.
Her sleep took longer.
Some mornings she sang to her rabbit.
Some nights a closed door brought her running down the hall.
Grant changed his schedule.
He canceled travel, handed responsibilities to his team, and learned the names of every child Rose mentioned at dinner.
Nora kept two afternoons a week for herself because caring for Rose did not mean surrendering her own life.
When Grant forgot a preschool form, he apologized and filled it out.
When he promised pickup, he arrived.
Trust returned in pieces small enough to overlook unless he was paying attention.
Then Vanessa's attorney requested a discussion through Grant's lawyer.
The criminal case was moving forward.
Separately, there were questions about gifts, canceled wedding expenses, and a possible civil claim for Rose's injuries.
Vanessa wanted a private settlement of those financial disputes.
The proposed agreement included broad confidentiality language.
“This doesn't control the prosecutor,” Grant's lawyer explained.
“And it doesn't stop you from cooperating with investigators. But the restrictions on public statements deserve careful attention.”
Grant read the document.
There was a paragraph describing the incident as an unfortunate misunderstanding.
“Take that out.”
“We can reject the agreement entirely.”
“Then reject it.”
He didn't need a press conference.
He didn't need strangers sharing his daughter's hospital picture.
But he would not sign a lie and call it privacy.
That evening, Diane called from a new number.
“Vanessa could lose years of her life.”
“Speak to my attorney.”
“She made one mistake.”
Grant looked across the room.
Rose was reaching for a crayon she'd dropped beneath a chair.
Before crawling under, she checked whether anyone was watching.
“My daughter is still afraid of taking up space,” he said.
“Don't call it one mistake.”
He ended the call and saved the message history.
Three days later, the prosecutor's office called.
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Vanessa's attorney had asked about a plea agreement.
For the first time, she was offering to admit what she had done.
