Chapter 6 - The Kitchen Door Opens
By the time Ethan reached the house, rain had begun to fall.
He entered quietly and immediately heard Noah crying in the kitchen.
Lauren stood beside the window with their son pressed against her. Patricia and Melissa were eating pastries behind the island.
A burner glowed on the stove.
Lauren had apparently begun heating water, but Noah had started crying before she could finish. Neither Patricia nor Melissa had turned it off.
Ethan dropped his bag.
Everyone looked up.
The confrontation happened quickly, but the anger behind it had been building for years.
After Ethan ordered them to leave, Patricia refused to move.
“You are humiliating me in front of her,” she said.
Ethan held Noah closer.
“You humiliated my wife in her own home.”
“She has turned you against us.”
“No. I heard you.”
Patricia’s face lost its color.
Ethan explained the accidental phone call. Melissa looked down, but Patricia recovered quickly.
“You heard a private conversation without context.”
“I heard my sick child crying while you complained about the noise.”
“We are not babysitters.”
“No one asked you to be babysitters. You came here saying you would help.”
Patricia pointed toward Lauren.
“She has always wanted us gone.”
Lauren finally spoke.
“I wanted to be treated like a person.”
Ethan turned to his sister.
“Pack your things.”
Melissa stared at him. “Where am I supposed to go?”
“You told us your friend offered you a room.”
“I didn’t think I would actually need it.”
“That is not Lauren’s problem.”
Patricia lifted her chin.
“I gave you money for this house.”
“You gave me a loan,” Ethan replied. “I will return every dollar.”
“You can’t erase what I’ve done for you.”
May you like
“No, but I can stop letting you use it as permission to hurt my wife.”
For the first time, Patricia had no answer.
