Chapter 2 - THE BIRTHDAYS NAOMI NEVER MISSED
Graham did not defend Vanessa.
That mattered.
But neither did he immediately understand the scale of what Maisie had revealed.
“What does she mean by practice?”
Vanessa folded her arms.
“She’s four. She misunderstands things.”
Naomi knelt beside Maisie.
“No more questions right now.”
Graham nodded.
He looked shaken.
Naomi gathered the gifts from the carpet.
Seven packages.
Not just birthday presents.
Valentine’s Day.
Easter.
A stuffed fox from a business trip.
A postcard from Chicago.
Graham stared.
“I never saw those.”
“I sent them here.”
“Why?”
“Because you told me Maisie wanted some things at both houses.”
“I did.”
Naomi held up an unopened envelope.
“This arrived six weeks ago.”
Graham looked at Vanessa.
She answered quickly.
“I forgot about it.”
Maisie whispered:
“No.”
Vanessa went still.
Naomi looked at her daughter.
Maisie stared at the floor.
“She says Mommy sends stuff because she wants Daddy mad.”
Graham’s face changed.
Vanessa snapped:
“Stop putting words in her mouth.”
Naomi stood.
“She is repeating yours.”
Graham rubbed both hands over his face.
He remembered recent conversations with Maisie.
Mommy forgot my dance day.
Mommy didn’t send me anything.
Mommy likes work more than me.
Each time, Vanessa had been nearby.
Each time, Graham had called Naomi afterward angry.
Naomi had insisted:
“I sent it.”
“I was there.”
“I called.”
Graham had assumed their divorce had made Naomi defensive.
Now seven unopened packages sat on his floor.
Not one mistake.
Not one forgotten envelope.
A pattern.
Naomi looked directly at him.
“How many times did you believe her before asking me?”
May you like
Graham did not answer.
That silence told Naomi the damage was larger than the trash bag.
