Conversation lulled, the three of us busying ourselves with eating to avoid talking about the elephant in the room. I could feel the tension in the air, with Erin stealing looks at Ben, and the oh-so-subtle shakes of his head.
Ben, sweetheart that he was, tried his best to ease some of the awkwardness. He asked about my family, about my life in Vegas, and what it had been like growing up with Erin—who stayed suspiciously quiet throughout the conversation. I felt like I’d wandered into a lion’s den. I never thought I’d miss Erin’s artificial smiles—the ones she used to deflect. Now, I was uncomfortably aware that she hadn’t smiled in fifteen minutes.
Our meal was finished, and I was three minutes into the infamous water tower story when Erin dropped her fork onto her empty plate and stood from the table. “I can’t do this,” she said, then fled out of the room.
“Erin, now’s not the time!” Ben called after her, but she was already gone. He looked at me with pity in his eyes. “I’m so sorry.”
I waited, brow furrowed and heart pounding in my chest. Erin’s footsteps sounded again. Ben’s gaze fell to his lap as shereturned. Erin rounded the table, slapped a folder down next to my plate, then returned to her chair.
“What is this?” I asked, hand shaking as I picked it up. A law firm was stamped across the front. I fingered the edge of the cardstock, preparing myself to open it when Erin spoke again.
“They’re papers to terminate your parental rights.”
My heart sank to my stomach. The folder slipped out of my numb fingers. “Excuse me?”
Ben opened his mouth. “Maybe we should?—”
“No, Ben,” Erin interrupted. “We’re doing this now.”
“Does Hannah know about this?” I asked, unable to look at Erin. I kept my eyes trained on the lawyer’s logo like my life depended on it.
Erin answered with a simple, “No.”
“Then I’m not signing anything.”
“Come on, Ryder. Don’t do your thing.”
“Mything?” Anger started to creep under my collar.
“Your stubborn no-one’s-going-to-tell-me-what-to-do thing. You never wanted kids.”
“You never asked.” I finally gathered the courage to meet her eyes. It was Erin’s turn to break eye contact. “Did you ask Hannah what she wants?”
“Hannah’s a kid.Mykid. It’s my job to protect her.”
“From what? I’m not a monster.”
The muscle in her jaw twitched. “She’s only seventeen.”
“Erin, think about where we were at seventeen. You had your entire life planned out, and from the looks of it, it worked out for you. I know my arrival has shaken up your perfect little suburban life,” I picked up the folder and tossed it across the table, where it landed in front of her, “but I refuse to apologize for the life I led based on a choice you made.”
“Imade?Youwere the one who changed the plan! You’resaying if I told you I was pregnant, it would have been different?”
I scoffed. “We’ll never know because youdidn’ttell me.” I closed my eyes and took a deep centering breath. “When did you find out?”
“That’s irrelevant.”
“Just answer me, Erin.”
“A month after I left Salem.”
“I didn’t leave for years. You could’ve told me at any point.”
“And then what? We’d have played at being a happy family? You would’ve moved to New York?”
“We could have talked about it, or worked something out. Instead, I’ve been completely blindsided seventeen years later. It’s out of our control now. Hannah’s nearly an adult, and this isn’t our decision to make anymore, not without her.”
Erin looked stunned. “When did you grow up?” she finally asked with a sad smile.
