“Oh, honey.”
She shakes off my arm, jumps down from the stool.
“Chloe—”
But her eyes spill over and suddenly she’s sobbing, but when I reach for her she backs away, shaking her head.
Fuck.
“Baby, I?—”
But I stop, panic stealing my words.
Because I don’t know what the right thing to do is, what the right thing to say is.
I don’t know how to take away the hurt she’s carrying, the hurt she knows far too young about what it means when people leave forever.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper, even though I don’t think that’s right either.
But at least she lets me hug her.
For all of two seconds.
Then twists out of my hold and runs away, her feet pounding on the stairs.
“Chloe!”
Her bedroom door slams as I’m following her, and when I make it there, knocking softly and trying the handle, it’s to find it locked.
“Shit,” I whisper, very close to tears myself. “Chloe,” I say a little louder as I knock again. “Will you let me in so we can talk?”
No response.
I stay where I am for several minutes, guilt eating at my insides.
Then I pull my phone out of my pocket, go into my bedroom, and call Rhodes.
He answers on the second ring. “Is everything okay?”
“No.”
A sharp inhale, his voice going tense. “What happened?”
“I—I messed up,” I admit, hating how shaky my voice sounds. “Chloe started talking about my trip, so I showed her a few places I will be visiting. Then she got really upset and said I was going to leave like her mom a-and now she’s in her room and?—”
“I’m coming home.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t?—”
“It’s okay.” A beat. “I’m coming home, Finn.”
The line clicks dead.
Miserable, I go and sit at the top of the stairs, hoping she’ll come out, wanting Rhodes to get here as quickly as possible…and all the while, hearing Chloe’s quiet, devastated voice on repeat.
You’re going to leave. Just like my mom did.
By the time Rhodes gets home, I’m nearly at my wits’ end.
