Chapter 4 - THE RULE CLAIRE MADE FOR HERSELF
Claire returned to the house Monday while Ava was at school.
Daniel had taken the day off.
He stood in the kitchen when Claire entered, looking exhausted and angry enough to pretend the exhaustion wasn’t there.
“You disappeared.”
“I told you I was safe.”
“You ignored me for twenty-four hours.”
“I needed twenty-four hours.”
Daniel pointed toward her handbag.
“Is that file in there?”
“Yes.”
“Give it to me.”
“No.”
His face hardened.
“Those are private custody records.”
“They were in our basement with our tax records.”
“They’re about Ava.”
“They’re also about you.”
Daniel moved around the island.
Claire took one step back.
He stopped.
The movement registered between them.
“You think I’m going to hurt you?” he asked.
“I think you grabbed me twice Saturday.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the only one you get.”
Daniel looked wounded.
Claire hated that she still wanted to comfort him.
Instead she said, “From now on, I’m not being alone with Ava.”
His eyebrows rose.
“What?”
“No driving her somewhere alone. No closed-door arguments. No disciplining her without you present.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“It protects both of us.”
“So now you think my daughter is dangerous?”
“No. I think the way this family handles accusations is dangerous.”
Daniel’s mouth tightened.
“You’re blaming her.”
“I’m blaming you.”
That stopped him.
Claire continued.
“Rachel Monroe did not discharge Ava.”
Daniel looked away.
There.
Not surprise.
Guilt.
“You called her?”
“Yes.”
“You went behind my back.”
“You lied to my face.”
“Ava hated therapy.”
“That doesn’t make what you told me true.”
Daniel rubbed both hands over his face.
“She was getting worse after appointments.”
“Because someone challenged her.”
“She felt attacked.”
“Daniel, a teacher was nearly investigated because Ava said she grabbed her.”
“She felt trapped.”
“That changed three times.”
Daniel snapped, “Why are you building a case against a sixteen-year-old?”
Claire held up the folder.
“I’m building one against the system around her.”
His eyes locked onto it.
“Put that away.”
“Why?”
“Because you don’t understand what that period did to her.”
“Then explain it.”
He didn’t.
Claire went upstairs and packed a suitcase.
She took work clothes, toiletries, medication, and the framed photo of her late father she had kept on the bedroom dresser.
Daniel followed her.
“So you’re leaving.”
“For now.”
“You’re throwing away four years because a teenager yelled at a barbecue.”
Claire zipped the suitcase.
“No. I’m leaving because my husband told me to apologize or leave without even asking what happened.”
Daniel’s expression shifted.
“I was trying to de-escalate.”
“You grabbed my wrist.”
He stopped.
Claire carried the suitcase downstairs.
At the front door she said, “If you want to talk to me, email or text.”
“That’s insane.”
“It means there’s a record.”
Daniel stared at her.
And Claire saw fear again.
May you like
Not fear of losing her.
Fear of being documented.
