Chapter 8 - THE WHOLE STORY
“Then tell me the whole story.”
Brandon went quiet.
I could hear wind behind him.
Maybe he had stepped outside.
“Audrey, can we not do this over the phone?”
“You’re in Tennessee.”
“I’ll be home Sunday.”
“Exactly.”
He sighed.
“There’s nothing happening with Leah.”
“That isn’t what I asked.”
“What do you want from me?”
“The truth.”
“You’re exhausted.”
I laughed.
“That doesn’t make me stupid.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You keep saying things you supposedly didn’t say.”
“Audrey.”
“Did you know Leah was coming before you left?”
“Yes.”
“Did you hide that from me?”
“I didn’t think it mattered.”
“Did you tell your friends I wanted you to go?”
Silence.
“Brandon.”
“I might have simplified things.”
“Simplified?”
“I didn’t want everybody listening to our personal problems.”
“So you invented a supportive wife.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Did you tell them I was calling because I was having a meltdown?”
Another silence.
“Yes.”
My eyes filled.
“Did you tell them June choked?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because she was fine.”
I stared at the wall.
“You knew she was fine because I handled it.”
“Exactly.”
The word hit me like a slap.
Exactly.
I handled it.
Therefore he had been right to leave.
I suddenly understood there was no emergency serious enough unless the worst had already happened.
“Sadie and I are going to urgent care later,” I said.
That caught him.
“What? Why?”
“She has a low fever.”
“How high?”
“100.8.”
“That’s barely a fever.”
“She’s six months old.”
“Okay, but—”
“I’m not asking permission.”
“I didn’t say—”
“You should come home.”
Silence.
There it was.
The test.
Not hinted.
Not softened.
Not disguised.
“Come home, Brandon.”
He breathed out.
“Today?”
“Yes.”
“Audrey, our flight is Sunday.”
“Change it.”
“Mason rented the car.”
“Uber.”
“That would be hundreds of dollars.”
“I thought money didn’t matter when you left.”
“That’s different.”
“Why?”
No answer.
I could hear voices somewhere behind him.
Then Brandon lowered his voice.
“You’re making this into some kind of loyalty test.”
“No.”
I looked toward Sadie.
“My daughter being sick is not a test.”
“She’s not sick. She has a temperature.”
“You haven’t seen her in two days.”
“Audrey, I’m not flying home because of 100.8.”
My stomach settled.
Not relaxed.
Settled.
Like something had finally clicked into place.
“Okay.”
He sounded suspicious.
“Okay?”
“Yes.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means stay.”
“Audrey—”
I hung up.
Dad drove us to urgent care that afternoon.
Sadie had a minor ear infection.
Nothing dangerous.
The doctor gave us instructions and told me I had done the right thing bringing her in.
On the drive home, Dad never said, “See?”
Never said Brandon should have come.
Never said anything about my marriage.
At a red light, he simply reached across the console and squeezed my shoulder.
That kindness nearly broke me.
When we got home, there were eleven messages waiting.
Three from Brandon.
Eight from Mason.
The last one read:
Audrey, call me before Brandon does. There’s something you need to know about last night.
I called immediately.
Mason answered on the first ring.
May you like
And the first thing he said was:
“I’m sorry. I should’ve stopped him.”
