Chapter 4

4: 4

4

Once I'd found a place to stay for the night, a text popped up on my phone from a number I hadn't saved.

【Don't come back.】

There was no name, but I didn't need to guess. It was Sadie.

I didn't reply. I just set the phone down.

I wasn't going back.

This time, I'd give her exactly what she wanted.

And I'd live for myself.

I thought that would be the end of it, but the next day I was woken by the phone ringing.

When I saw it was Sadie's preschool teacher, all the sleep left me at once.

"Ms. Harper, Sadie's gotten into a fight with another child at school!"

My chest ached. I hesitated, thinking I'd say I wasn't home, that they should call her father.

But then I thought better of it. Knowing Giles, he'd only kick the problem right back to me.

When it came to Sadie, he never asked so much as one extra question.

"I'm on my way. I'll be there in about half an hour."

I threw on my clothes and hurried over, and when I got to the preschool, I found Sadie with a big lump on her head, crying against Camille's leg.

Cedric stood off to the side, chin up, looking at Sadie with plain contempt.

Sadie was tugging Camille's hand toward her own head, trying to get her to rub it.

"Auntie rub it for Sadie. Once Auntie rubs it, Sadie won't cry anymore."

Cedric shouted across at Camille.

"Don't rub it for her! Is it her you want, or me?"

Camille looked down at her new dress, streaked all over with Sadie's tears, her face full of distaste, but she didn't seem to know what to say.

The teacher saw me come in and quickly pulled Sadie toward me.

"Look, Sadie, your mommy's here. Let mommy rub it for you."

The second she saw me, Sadie stopped crying.

Her voice went sharp all at once.

"Didn't I tell you not to come back! I don't want to see you again!"

I turned to the teacher and asked, "What happened?"

Before the teacher could speak, Cedric jumped in.

"It's her own fault, she was asking for it. Last night she wanted to sleep with my mom, and this morning she made my mom dress her. So pathetic. Don't you have a mom of your own? Are you an orphan?"

He paused after that, malice clear in his eyes.

"Oh, right. Your mom got thrown out by you, and your dad doesn't want you. You're pretty much an orphan."

The teacher's face changed.

"Cedric!"

It really was a cruel thing to say, but Sadie didn't look angry. If anything, she looked like she was trying to win him over.

She leaned in and kissed Cedric on the cheek.

"Don't hate me, big brother. I like you, and I like Auntie. I want us to be a family."

Sadie's eyes were full of hope.

Cedric stared at her in disbelief.

A crowd of kids was watching, and they all broke into shrieks.

"A boy and a girl kissed, shame on you!"

Cedric's face went red, and he shoved Sadie hard.

"Do you have any idea how bad your mouth stinks right after you drink milk?"

Sadie froze, then, wounded, burst into loud sobs.

The teacher scrambled to smooth it over.

"Ceddy, Sadie just likes you."

Cedric turned his head away, disgusted.

The whole scene was chaos.

When the teacher glanced toward the doorway, her face lit up, and she quickly pointed and said to Sadie:

"Look, Sadie, your daddy's here!"

Giles got out of the car and walked toward us.

I was still surprised, wondering how Giles had become a different person, that he'd actually come to check on Sadie, when I watched him walk right past her and go straight to Camille and her son.

Giles pulled Camille's crumpled dress out of Sadie's hands, then shoved the child at me.

"Quinn, is this the kind of manners you've taught your daughter?"

He pointed at the smear on Camille's hem, snot or tears, impossible to tell, and said:

"This dress was the last gift Cammie's husband ever bought her before he died."

Camille smiled bitterly and said nothing.

Sadie's crying cut off. Realizing she'd caused trouble, she belatedly ducked behind me.

"It's just a dress. I'm sure Cammie won't mind."

The one who said it was the younger brother of Camille's late husband, Arthur Cobb.

The moment Giles saw Arthur, his expression went as dark as it possibly could.

Cedric, who never obeyed anyone, was clearly afraid of his uncle the moment he saw him.

Arthur stroked the boy's hair, then pressed his head down toward Sadie.

"The teacher told me everything. No matter how much Sadie upset you, you shouldn't just hit people. Ceddy isn't some mute with no tongue who can't be reasoned with, is he?"

The color drained from Cedric's face in an instant, his voice trembling.

"I'm... I'm sorry, Sadie."

Arthur patted his head.

"There we go. That's a good boy."

He nudged the two children back toward the teacher.

"Then it's settled. Go on back to class. Tonight your daddy Giles is coming to pick you both up and take you home."

Cedric didn't dare look back and bolted for the classroom.

Sadie wanted to turn around, but one look at Giles's grim face and she had no choice but to follow after Cedric.

Giles stared at Arthur, his face dark.

"What did you come back for?"

Arthur answered with a grin:

"My brother's dead. Of course I couldn't stay abroad forever. And there happens to be someone here I want to look after, so I came home early."

When he'd finished, he turned to me, smiling, and gave me a little wave.

"Long time no see, Quinnie."