Ethan stood in the living room, pacing. His hair was a mess. His eyes were red. He looked like he hadn’t slept at all.
“Ethan,” I said.
He stopped moving and looked at me. Shame hit his face immediately.
“What happened?” I asked. “Tell me.”
He ran a hand through his hair and let out a breath.
“I was talking to my mom,” he said. “This morning. About… about how I didn’t think I was cut out for this. For raising a kid.”
My jaw tightened.
“I told her I didn’t think I was suited for it,” he continued, his voice low. “That I didn’t know what I was doing. That I was overwhelmed.”
I felt something cold settle in my chest.
“And maybe Lily heard us,” he said quietly. “I don’t know. I don’t know if she did.”
He swallowed hard.
“When my mom went to wake her up, when she still hadn’t come out by nine, that’s when we realized she wasn’t in her room. Her backpack was gone.”
My heart started pounding.
“We don’t know if she left on her own,” he said, struggling to get the words out. “Or if she was… taken.”
He had to swallow again to finish.
Something inside me snapped.
I stepped closer to him before I even realized I was moving.
“How dare you,” I said, my voice low. “How dare you.”
He flinched.
“How dare you make her feel so unwanted,” I continued, stepping right into his space, “that she would even think about running away from her own home.”
His eyes filled.
“You haven’t changed,” I said, my voice deadly calm. “Not even a little. Not after all these years.”
He tried to speak. I didn’t let him.
“You know, I was devastated when you cheated on me,” I said. “When you humiliated me. But now? Now I’m grateful.”
He stared at me, stunned.
“I’m grateful I didn’t waste my life raising an immature, irresponsible man-child,” I continued. “Someone who never actually grew up. Someone who’s still scared of responsibility. Someone so selfish he can’t think about anyone but himself.”
His face crumpled.
“You don’t want to take charge of a traumatized little girl by dumping that responsibility on your elderly parents?” I said. “You can’t even put her needs first. She’s brave and precious. And you made her feel like a burden.”
My hands were shaking.
“I can’t look at you right now,” I said. “If I do, I might hit you.”
