Chapter 2 - The Christmas Nobody Expected)
Lauren did not turn around.
At 8:47 that evening, her flight departed for Colorado.
At 9:16, a Connecticut Department of Children and Families emergency investigator arrived at Claire’s house.
Emma had been placed in a hot bath.
Claire had given her dry pajamas and wrapped her in blankets.
The investigator photographed the soaked suitcase.
The thin coat.
Emma’s wet shoes.
The location where she had been found.
Then came the questions.
Had this happened before?
Emma looked toward Claire.
Claire squeezed her hand.
“You can tell the truth.”
Emma whispered, “Not exactly.”
The investigator leaned closer.
“What has happened before?”
Emma stared at the carpet.
“Sometimes Mom locks me outside.”
Claire went still.
“How long?”
“I don’t know.”
“In winter?”
Emma nodded.
Claire felt sick.
The investigator continued carefully.
“Does anyone hurt you?”
Emma shook her head quickly.
Then stopped.
“Derek grabs my arm.”
“How?”
“When he gets mad.”
“Does it leave marks?”
Emma looked down.
Claire understood immediately.
“Emma.”
The child slowly pushed up her pajama sleeve.
Four faint yellow bruises curved around her upper arm.
Claire turned away for one second because she knew Emma should not see the expression on her face.
The investigator photographed them.
At 10:30, Hartford police contacted Lauren at Denver International Airport during her connection.
At 10:41, Lauren called Claire.
She was screaming before Claire answered.
“You called CPS?”
“Yes.”
“Are you fucking insane?”
“You abandoned your nine-year-old.”
“She is my daughter!”
“Then act like her mother.”
Margaret suddenly came onto the call.
Apparently Lauren had already called her.
“Claire, enough.”
Claire closed her eyes.
“Mom.”
“You’re destroying this family over one mistake.”
Claire looked toward the living room.
Emma sat beside the Christmas tree, staring at gifts Claire had bought for coworkers’ children.
There had been nothing beneath Lauren’s tree for Emma.
Claire had discovered that too.
“You already destroyed it.”
“Think about your sister.”
“I’m thinking about Emma.”
“You don’t understand motherhood.”
Claire almost laughed.
“No. Apparently neither does Lauren.”
Margaret’s voice dropped.
“Family problems stay inside the family.”
Claire stared at the child sitting alone beside the tree.
“That sentence is exactly why this happened.”
She ended the call.
The next morning Emma woke at six.
Claire found her sitting beside the window.
“Merry Christmas,” Claire said softly.
Emma looked at her.
“Are they coming back?”
Claire could have lied.
Instead she sat beside her.
“No.”
Emma nodded.
One tear rolled down her cheek.
Claire wiped it away.
“But you’re not alone.”
Emma looked toward the empty Christmas tree.
“I didn’t get you anything.”
Claire smiled sadly.
“You called me.”
Emma frowned.
“What?”
“You called me yesterday. That was enough.”
Emma leaned against her.
Neither noticed the black sedan parked across the street.
Inside it sat Ryan Bennett.
He watched his oldest sister holding his niece.
Then he looked at the message Lauren had sent him.
Claire is trying to take Emma.
May you like
Ryan started the engine.
And instead of walking inside, he drove away.
