Mum looks down again.
This time, the silence feels different.
“You’re right,” she says. No defensiveness. “It was wrong of me to involve you. And wrong of me to lie to you.”
“I didn’t get to be a kid. I was too busy taking your side in something I didn’t understand.”
For a second, I don't trust myself to speak.
“I’m sorry for putting you in that, Dane. For all of it.”
I nod. “I’ve apologized to Charlotte—more than once—and I think you owe her something too.”
Her eyes lift to mine. “You’re right. I owe her an apology.”
“You owe her more than that.”
She holds my gaze. “What can I do, son?”
“Go with her in my place. Make sure she’s not doing this alone. Help her get settled somewhere new.” A small pause. “It doesn’t fix what you did, but it’s a start.”
“How long would she need me?”
“Only long enough to help her find a place and get settled. It’s a lot. I know. I’m asking you to leave your family... so you can help take care of mine.”
That lands. I can see it.
I’m not sure how she takes that. Maybe she hears what I mean. Maybe she doesn’t.
Either way, it’s the truth.
Charlotte is my family. My life. My heart.
She isn’t going anywhere.
“I’ll need you to put everything in your name. The lease, utilities—anything that leaves a trail. Keep her off it. I don’t want her easy to find. She needs to stay out of the public eye.”
“Does Charlotte know you’re asking this?”
“Not yet.”
A brief pause.
“And when she pushes back?”
“I’ll handle Charlotte.”
That almost earns a smile—something familiar flickering across her face before it fades again.
“All right,” she says. “I’ll go with her and stay as long as she needs me.”
Relief loosens something in my chest.
“Thank you, Mum.”
I get to my feet and pull her into a hug.
“When?”
