His wife. She didn't even know if he was married. She didn't know anything about him.
She eased herself carefully off the couch, trying not to wake Ben. Flo lifted her head.
"Stay," Charlie whispered. "I'll be right back."
Flo ignored her for once, got up, and trotted beside her. Charlie grinned down at the dog who knew what was best for her.
She padded to the kitchen in her wool socks and pulled up the contact she’d copied onto her phone from the Watchdog voicemail months ago. She still hadn’t attached Joey’s name to it.
It's almost midnight. This is a terrible idea.
She hit call.
It rang three times. Four. She was about to hang up when he answered, slightly breathless, clearly distracted.
"Yeah, hang on—is this the driver? Because I said the blue house with the?—"
"Joey."
Silence.
"It's—it's Charlene."
The silence stretched so long she thought the call had dropped.
"Charlie." His voice came out strange and small, then louder. "Oh my God.Charlie."
"I'm sorry it's so late, I shouldn't have… I can call back tomorrow?—"
"Don't you dare hang up." His voice cracked. "Don't you dare."
She pressed her hand over her mouth.
"I've been wanting to talk to you for years," he said, and he sounded wrecked, and young, and like the little kid she'd left behind. "After you left, Dad said…he told us you wanted nothing to do with us. That you hated us. Patrick and James believed him, they just, they went along with it, but I never… Charlie, I never believed that."
"I didn't hate you," she managed through her tears. "Joey, Ineverhated you. Not for a single second."
He exhaled shakily. "I wouldn’t blame you if you did. I was terrible to you when I got older.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Charlie felt a tear slip down her cheek. Flo nuzzled her and she stooped to pet her.
“It does matter, Charlie. It does. And I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.” Joey choked up before he continued. "So, you’re in Colorado. Are you okay? Are you safe?"
"I'm really good, actually." She looked through the kitchen doorway at the fire, at Ben's sleeping silhouette. Then she lookedthe ring on her finger. "I'm happy, Joey. I found my home and my family."
He was quiet for a moment.
"I just got engaged," Charlie said to fill the space. "Tonight, actually. About two hours ago."
Joey made a sound that was half laugh, half sob. "Are you serious? Tell me everything."
So she did.
And he told her everything too. He'd joined the military straight out of school and he was in San Diego now. “So you weren’t calling me late at all.”
He'd met his wife out there and they'd been married two years. His voice turned serious.
“I called Watchdog because I’m gonna be a dad.”
