Chapter 2 - THE FIRST VIDEO
The next morning, Noah refused pancakes.
That was when Emily knew something was seriously wrong.
Noah loved Robert’s pancakes.
He usually ate four and then negotiated for a fifth.
That morning he sat quietly at the kitchen table, pushing blueberries across his plate.
Robert barely noticed.
Emily did.
“Want something else?”
Noah shook his head.
“You feeling sick?”
Another shake.
Robert poured coffee.
“He’s fine.”
Emily ignored him.
Noah looked at her and asked, “Can I borrow your phone?”
“What for?”
“I want to look something up.”
Robert frowned.
“You have a tablet.”
Noah froze.
Then quickly said, “I forgot.”
Emily saw fear cross his face.
Not forgetfulness.
Fear.
She handed him her phone.
“Go ahead.”
Noah took it and walked toward the living room.
Robert waited until he was gone.
“You encourage secrecy.”
Emily laughed quietly.
“He asked to borrow a phone.”
“You undermine his mother.”
“How?”
“You always have.”
Emily stared at him.
“Rachel’s been in this family nine years.”
“And she’s done more for it than you have.”
There it was.
The familiar wound.
Robert had used some version of that sentence for most of Emily’s adult life.
Daniel had been the responsible one.
Emily had been difficult.
Daniel had married early.
Emily had changed careers twice.
Daniel bought a house.
Emily rented.
Daniel gave Robert a grandson.
Emily gave him reasons to complain.
Emily looked toward the living room.
“Noah was crying last night.”
Robert’s face hardened.
“He had a nightmare.”
“He told you that?”
“You told me.”
“He said he dreamed about Rachel.”
Robert placed his coffee mug down.
“Stop.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re always looking for something wrong.”
Emily felt anger rising.
“No. I’m looking at a terrified seven-year-old.”
“He is not terrified.”
“He flinched when Rachel kissed him yesterday.”
Robert went still.
Emily caught it.
“You saw that too.”
“No.”
“You did.”
Robert leaned closer.
“Rachel is his mother.”
“That doesn’t answer anything.”
“She disciplines him.”
Emily stared at him.
“How?”
Robert’s eyes moved away.
That was answer enough.
Later that afternoon, Emily found Noah sitting behind the couch.
He had her phone.
He wasn’t searching the internet.
He was watching a video tutorial.
How to hide files on a tablet.
Emily sat down carefully.
“Noah.”
He nearly dropped the phone.
“I wasn’t doing anything bad.”
“I didn’t say you were.”
He held the phone tighter.
Emily softened her voice.
“Do you have something you’re trying to hide?”
Noah’s eyes filled immediately.
Emily’s chest tightened.
“From your mom?”
He nodded once.
Emily swallowed.
“What?”
Noah stared toward the kitchen.
Robert was outside.
They were alone.
He reached into his backpack.
From the bottom pocket, he pulled out his tablet.
“Mom said I’m not allowed to bring this to Grandpa’s.”
“Why?”
“Because she takes it away.”
“When?”
“When Daddy leaves.”
Emily’s pulse quickened.
Noah unlocked the screen.
He opened a folder.
There was one video.
Thirty-eight seconds long.
He pressed play.
The screen showed the family kitchen at Daniel’s house.
The camera angle was low, apparently from the tablet propped on a chair.
Rachel stood near the refrigerator.
Noah was off-camera.
Rachel’s voice came clearly through the speaker.
“If you tell your father again, you’re going to make him leave us.”
Noah’s voice trembled.
“I didn’t tell him.”
“You told him I locked you in your room.”
“You did.”
There was a sharp sound.
The camera shook.
Noah whimpered.
Rachel said, “Don’t talk back.”
Emily stopped breathing.
The video continued.
Rachel grabbed Noah by the arm and pulled him briefly into frame.
Her fingers dug into his skin.
“You listen to me. Your father works because you cost money. Everything in this house costs money. If you make problems, he’ll decide he doesn’t want to come home anymore.”
Noah cried.
“I want Daddy.”
Rachel leaned close.
“Then learn to behave.”
The video ended.
Emily stared at the screen.
Her hand was shaking.
“When did you record this?”
“Last week.”
“Has she done that before?”
Noah nodded.
“How many times?”
“I don’t know.”
“Has she hit you?”
Noah looked down.
Emily felt something inside her turn to ice.
“Noah.”
“She says spanking isn’t hitting.”
Emily closed her eyes for one second.
When she opened them, Noah was watching her fearfully.
“Are you mad?”
“At you? Never.”
“Mom says people get mad when I tell things wrong.”
“You are not telling anything wrong.”
“She says Daddy won’t believe me.”
Emily took his hands.
“I believe you.”
Noah started crying.
Emily pulled him into her arms.
Then another thought came.
“Does Grandpa know?”
Noah stiffened.
Emily felt it.
“Noah?”
“He told me not to upset Daddy.”
The words hit harder than the video.
“When?”
“Last time.”
“What happened last time?”
Noah wiped his nose.
“Mom put me in the laundry room.”
Emily’s mouth went dry.
“For how long?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why?”
“I spilled juice.”
The back door opened.
Emily snapped the tablet closed.
Robert walked into the kitchen.
He looked at Noah.
Then at Emily.
Then at the tablet between them.
His expression changed.
“What are you watching?”
Emily slowly stood with her crutch.
May you like
“Something Daniel needs to see.”
Robert’s face lost all color.
