Chapter 5 - The Message Ethan Was Never Meant to Hear
Ethan’s meeting ended earlier than expected.
The presentation had gone perfectly, but he felt uneasy when he saw Lauren’s missed call. She rarely interrupted him during work trips.
He called back.
No answer.
He tried again.
This time, the call connected, but no one spoke.
Ethan heard voices in the distance.
Patricia was speaking.
“She acts as if taking care of one child makes her special.”
Melissa laughed. “Ethan does everything for her.”
“Because she has trained him to feel guilty.”
Ethan froze in the hotel hallway.
The phone must have answered accidentally inside Lauren’s pocket or beneath a blanket.
Then he heard Noah crying.
Lauren’s tired voice followed.
“Please stop. He just fell asleep.”
Patricia responded, “Then take him upstairs. We shouldn’t all have to suffer.”
Ethan’s hand tightened around the phone.
Melissa said, “And could you clean the kitchen first? It smells like medicine.”
There was a long silence.
Then Lauren spoke in a voice Ethan barely recognized.
“I called Ethan.”
Patricia laughed.
“And what are you going to tell him? That his mother drank coffee while you cared for your own son?”
“I’ll tell him the truth.”
“No, you won’t. You never do. That is why this family works.”
Ethan ended the call.
For several seconds, he could not move.
His mother was right about one thing: Lauren often stayed silent. But Ethan suddenly understood that her silence had not meant everything was fine.
It had meant she did not believe speaking would change anything.
May you like
He called the airline, changed his flight, packed his bag, and left for the airport.
He did not tell anyone he was coming home.
