Chapter 6 - The First Meeting
Emily wore her yellow sweater because Daniel had once told Grace yellow made everything look warmer.
Grace hated herself for remembering.
The meeting took place at a family counseling office Denise had recommended, not because a therapist would magically make fatherhood safe, but because the building had a small playroom, a receptionist, and doors with windows.
Daniel arrived with nothing.
No giant teddy bear.
No expensive tablet.
No envelope of money.
Grace noticed.
Emily noticed too.
“You didn’t bring me a present.”
Daniel’s face went pale.
Grace almost interrupted.
The therapist, Dr. Patel, did not.
Daniel swallowed.
“I thought about it.”
“What?”
“A telescope.”
Emily’s eyes lit up.
Grace stared at him.
Daniel gave a small, embarrassed smile.
“Your mom used to like stars.”
Emily turned to Grace.
“You like stars?”
“I used to.”
“You never told me.”
Grace felt suddenly accused by the universe.
Daniel looked down.
“I decided a present might feel like I was trying to buy the first hour.”
Emily thought about that.
“Were you?”
“No.”
“Okay.”
She climbed onto a chair.
Daniel sat across from her.
For several minutes, Emily asked questions like she had prepared an interview.
What was his middle name?
Thomas.
Did he have a dog?
Not now.
Did he know how to cook?
“Three things.”
“What?”
“Eggs, pasta, and chili.”
“That’s only three.”
“I warned you.”
She smiled.
Daniel almost cried.
Grace saw him stop himself.
Good.
Emily did not need to manage his feelings too.
Then she asked, “Why didn’t you come to my birthdays?”
The room changed.
Daniel looked at Dr. Patel.
Dr. Patel said nothing.
He looked at Grace.
Grace said nothing.
Finally he looked at Emily.
“Because I was afraid.”
“Of Mr. Romano?”
“Partly.”
Emily frowned.
“What was the other part?”
Daniel rubbed his thumb against his finger.
“Of you.”
Emily looked offended.
“I’m not scary.”
“No.”
He smiled sadly.
“I was scared you would ask why I left. And I didn’t have an answer that made me look good.”
Emily stared at him.
“That’s dumb.”
Daniel laughed once.
“Yes.”
Grace felt something loosen in her chest.
Not forgiveness.
Not even sympathy.
Recognition.
Daniel was telling the truth badly and directly.
Emily asked, “Did you know about me when I was a baby?”
“No.”
“When did you know?”
“Two years ago.”
She stopped smiling.
“So six birthdays.”
Daniel’s eyes filled.
“Yes.”
“You could have sent a card.”
“Yes.”
“You could have sent six cards.”
“Yes.”
Emily looked down at her sneakers.
Grace wanted to move toward her.
Dr. Patel made a tiny gesture.
Wait.
Emily said, “I save money.”
“I heard.”
“For Mom.”
“I heard that too.”
“Were you buying our building?”
Daniel’s face tightened.
“Yes.”
“So Mom would have to talk to you?”
Daniel looked at Grace.
Grace did not rescue him.
“Yes.”
Emily’s eyes narrowed.
“That’s sneaky.”
“Yes.”
“Did you make the bad papers?”
“No.”
“But the man worked for you.”
“Yes.”
Emily sat back.
“My teacher says if someone on your team cheats, everybody has to stop the game.”
Daniel nodded slowly.
“That seems right.”
“Are you stopping?”
“The building purchase?”
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
Emily looked at Grace.
“Is he?”
“As far as we know.”
Emily turned back.
“Good.”
The first meeting lasted forty-three minutes.
At the end, Daniel stood near the door as if unsure what people did after meeting their child.
Emily solved it for him.
She held out her hand.
Daniel stared at it.
Then shook it.
“Bye.”
“Bye, Emily.”
She walked to Grace.
At the hallway, she looked back.
“Maybe you can bring the telescope next time.”
Daniel pressed his lips together.
“Maybe.”
In the car, Emily was quiet.
Grace waited.
At a red light, Emily said, “He cries with his whole face.”
Grace glanced over.
“What does that mean?”
“Mr. Romano only cries with his eyes.”
Grace nearly drove onto the curb.
“Mr. Romano does not cry.”
“He almost did when I told him about Dad.”
Grace looked ahead.
Children saw too much.
“Do you want another meeting?”
Emily considered.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I have more questions.”
That was reasonable.
The next complication arrived two days later.
Daniel texted Grace a photograph of a telescope.
No price.
No message except:
Would this be appropriate?
Grace stared at it.
Then showed Emily.
Emily said, “It’s too big.”
Grace blinked.
“You don’t want it?”
“I want one I can carry.”
Grace texted Daniel exactly that.
He responded:
Understood.
Simple.
Almost normal.
Then Vincent ruined it.
He appeared outside Emily’s school at dismissal.
Not because he was waiting for Emily.
At least that was what he said.
He had a meeting nearby and saw Daniel’s car parked half a block away.
Daniel had not been authorized to pick Emily up.
He was not even supposed to approach.
Vincent called Marco.
Then he walked toward the car himself.
By the time Grace arrived, two black SUVs were at the curb, Daniel was standing beside his vehicle, and three parents were pretending not to stare.
Grace slammed her car door.
“What are you doing?”
Vincent turned.
Daniel said, “I wasn’t going to approach her.”
Vincent looked at the school entrance.
“You were sitting outside her school.”
“I wanted to see her come out.”
“That is approaching without approaching.”
Grace stepped between them.
“Both of you stop.”
Vincent looked at her.
“Grace—”
“You called men here?”
“I called security.”
“To an elementary school.”
His face changed.
He heard it then.
The absurdity.
The intimidation.
Children were coming out in lines.
Teachers were watching.
Grace lowered her voice.
“My daughter does not get to become neighborhood theater because two grown men cannot manage themselves.”
Daniel opened his mouth.
Grace pointed at him.
“You should not be here.”
“I know.”
“Then leave.”
He left.
No argument.
Grace turned to Vincent.
“You too.”
“I saw his car.”
“And you could have called me.”
“I did.”
Grace checked her phone.
Three missed calls.
It did not make him right.
It made the situation more complicated.
“You could have called the school.”
“I didn’t want to alarm them.”
“So you brought two SUVs.”
Vincent looked away.
Grace’s anger softened just enough to hurt more.
“You think quiet force is less frightening because nobody raises their voice.”
He looked at her.
“That is what you do.”
Vincent’s shoulders dropped.
Across the sidewalk, Emily came out with her backpack.
She saw Vincent.
Then the SUVs.
Then Grace.
Her face tightened.
“Mom?”
Grace smiled too quickly.
“Hey, honey.”
Emily looked at Vincent.
“Is something wrong?”
Vincent could have invented a story.
Instead he said, “I overreacted.”
Emily frowned.
“To what?”
“Your father was parked nearby.”
“Why?”
Grace said, “We’ll talk in the car.”
Emily looked at Vincent again.
“You scared people.”
He glanced toward the parents watching.
“Yes.”
She adjusted her backpack.
“My teacher says sorry doesn’t fix the part before sorry.”
Vincent looked at Grace.
Grace did not smile.
Emily was right.
Vincent said, “Your teacher sounds exhausting.”
Emily laughed despite herself.
Then she walked to Grace’s car.
Grace followed.
Before getting in, she looked back at Vincent.
“No more showing up.”
He nodded.
“Unless I ask.”
Another nod.
“And no one watches Daniel for me.”
Vincent’s jaw tightened.
But he said, “All right.”
Grace believed he meant it.
She also knew meaning it was not the same as being able to do it.
May you like
For Vincent, not interfering would be work.
For Grace, letting him learn would be work too.
