Chapter 6 - The Person Nathan Expected to Defend Bethany Didn't
Nathan expected Frank to defend the family until the end.
His father surprised him.
Frank called Allison.
Not Nathan.
He asked to give a statement.
Nathan learned about it afterward.
Frank admitted throwing the glass.
He admitted he had seen Rosie crying when Nathan carried her from the hallway.
He admitted he did not ask what had happened before reacting to Nathan's punch.
Most importantly, Frank admitted Marjorie had been discussing the custody petition for weeks.
Nathan listened while Allison summarized the statement.
“Why is he doing this?”
“He says he watched the full recording.”
Nathan felt no satisfaction.
“Did he apologize?”
“To you?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
That sounded more like Frank.
Two days later, Frank came to Nathan's house.
Nathan met him on the porch.
He did not let him inside.
Frank looked older than he had at the party.
“I threw that glass.”
“I remember.”
“I could've hit Rosie.”
“Yes.”
Frank looked at the porch boards.
“I keep seeing that.”
Nathan said nothing.
Frank continued.
“Your mother told me the lawyer was just about keeping you from moving too quickly.”
“You believed her?”
“I wanted to.”
Nathan almost laughed.
“That's everyone's excuse.”
Frank looked up.
“You're right.”
The admission stopped Nathan.
Frank had rarely said those words in his life.
“She said the video would show Rosie loved being at our house.”
Nathan folded his arms.
“And when Rosie wouldn't say what Mom wanted?”
“I didn't know Bethany went after her.”
“You knew she was crying.”
“I knew she was upset.”
“And you ate cake.”
Frank absorbed that without defending himself.
Nathan looked at him.
“Why did you throw the glass?”
Frank's face changed.
“You hit my daughter.”
“And you forgot I was holding mine.”
Frank closed his eyes.
There it was.
Not strategy.
Not conspiracy.
A father's instinct turned reckless by anger.
The same kind of impulse Nathan had followed when he punched Bethany.
Nathan did not like recognizing himself in Frank.
That similarity was uncomfortable enough to matter.
Frank reached into his coat.
Nathan stiffened.
Frank stopped immediately.
“Just paperwork.”
He pulled out a folded calendar.
Marjorie had kept track of every night Rosie stayed at their house.
Every preschool pickup.
Every appointment she attended.
Nathan looked at it.
“She was documenting us.”
“Yes.”
“For how long?”
Frank hesitated.
“Eight months.”
Long before the Raleigh job existed.
Nathan stared at him.
That changed something.
The move could not have started the custody plan.
It had only given Marjorie a reason to act on something she had already been preparing.
“Why eight months?”
Frank shook his head.
“I don't know.”
Nathan did not believe him.
Frank looked toward the front door.
“Can I see Rosie?”
“No.”
Frank nodded.
He did not argue.
Nathan watched his father walk back to the car.
The refusal hurt Frank.
May you like
That was obvious.
For once, Nathan did not mistake someone else's pain for proof that his boundary was wrong.
Related Stories
