“Drawing.”
“What kind?”
“People.”
“Can I see?”
Miles considered it for a long time.
Then opened his sketchbook.
There was a drawing of five people.
Claire.
Four boys.
No father.
Adrian stared at it.
Then said:
“You’re good.”
Nothing else.
He did not ask why he was missing.
I noticed.
So did Miles.
We left Cedarcrest Estate that night.
The boys asked to stay.
I said no.
Too much.
Too quickly.
Adrian walked us to the car.
Ethan stopped before getting in.
“Are we seeing you tomorrow?”
Adrian looked at me first.
That mattered too.
I nodded.
He answered:
“If you want.”
Ethan said:
“Okay.”
Then got inside.
The next morning Vanessa asked to meet me privately.
We sat in a coffee shop in Bellmere.
No perfect Christmas dress.
No Adrian.
She looked tired.
“I didn’t know.”
“I assumed that.”
“He told me you claimed to be pregnant during the divorce.”
