Chapter 3 - The First Thing Ryan Gave Up
By seven the next morning, Ryan had canceled Singapore.
His regional director reminded him that the trip was the final visit before leadership chose a new operations vice president.
Ryan stared at Mason asleep on the couch downstairs because he had been afraid to return to his bedroom.
“I understand,” Ryan said. “Take me off the trip.”
“You realize what that could mean?”
“Yes.”
For years, Ryan had treated travel as the price of providing the life his family enjoyed: the four-bedroom house in White Eagle, Chloe’s private volleyball club, Mason’s college savings, the mortgage, the vacations.
He had also used it for something less admirable.
Home had become harder after he remarried.
Vanessa hated how often Mason compared everything to his mother, Laura, who had died when Mason was four. Mason hated how quickly Vanessa changed the house.
Ryan had told himself time would solve what he was too tired to confront.
Now his son had three casts.
At breakfast, Ryan called Mason’s orthopedic clinic and asked for the complete visit history.
The nurse hesitated.
“Are you sure you weren’t at the follow-up Monday?”
“I was in Germany.”
Another pause.
“Mr. Bennett, our note says a parent declined an occupational-therapy referral for feeding and bathing assistance.”
“Who declined it?”
“Mrs. Bennett.”
Ryan closed his eyes.
The referral had been offered because Mason could not safely feed, dress, or bathe himself without substantial help.
Vanessa had told Ryan the clinic said Mason was “basically independent.”
She had lied.
Ryan found Mason in the family room watching television with the volume almost inaudibly low.
“Buddy, I need to ask you something.”
Mason stiffened.
Ryan stopped several feet away.
“You’re not in trouble. I’m the one who should’ve asked sooner.”
Mason kept staring at the screen.
“Did Vanessa help you eat after the accident?”
“Sometimes.”
“What does sometimes mean?”
“When Chloe wasn’t mad.”
Ryan felt the words settle into an uglier shape.
“What did Chloe being mad have to do with whether you ate?”
Mason swallowed.
“She said I was trying to get her taken away.”
Ryan sat down slowly.
“Taken away by who?”
“Her dad.”
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That was the first time Ryan understood that whatever had happened behind the house had not begun behind the house.
It had begun somewhere else.
