Chapter 5: What Carla Left Behind
Carla left without another word.
The front door closed.
Not slammed — which was almost worse.
Miah heard her father stand in the hallway for a long moment.
Then his footsteps came toward the stairs.
She scrambled back to her room and sat on the edge of her bed, her hands folded in her lap, her heart going too fast.
He knocked twice before opening the door.
"Hey." He sat beside her on the bed.
The mattress dipped under his weight.
He didn't say anything right away, just looked at her — really looked, the way he sometimes forgot to when he came home tired from a long trip.
"Is she leaving?" Miah asked.
"I don't know yet."
"Are you angry at me?"
He turned to face her fully.
"Why would I be angry at you?"
"Because I told." She kept her eyes on her hands.
"She said you'd be angry if I told.
She said you'd say I was causing problems."
Her father was quiet for a moment.
"Look at me, Miah."
She looked up.
"You did the right thing.
Do you understand me?
You did exactly the right thing."
Her chin wobbled.
She pressed her lips together hard.
"I should have seen it," he said, more to himself than to her.
"I should have asked more questions.
I should have—" He stopped.
Ran a hand over his face.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart.
I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention."
"You were working."
"That's not an excuse."
They sat together for a while without talking.
Outside, a car started in the driveway — Carla's, probably — and pulled away.
"Dad," Miah said quietly.
"What did she mean?
About costing you a marriage before?"
Her father went very still.
"She meant your mom," he said finally.
"Did I?"
"No." His voice was firm.
"No.
Your mum got sick, Miah.
That had nothing to do with you.
Nothing.
Don't ever let anyone put that on you."
Miah nodded slowly.
But the word had already settled somewhere inside her, the way Carla had meant it to.
Downstairs, a door opened and closed.
Renee moving through the house.
The sound of a cupboard.
A glass being set down hard on the counter.
Her father stood up.
"Stay here tonight.
I'll bring you something to eat."
"You don't have to—"
"I want to." He touched the top of her head briefly, the way he used to when she was smaller.
"Lock nothing.
You're not in trouble.
I'll be back in ten minutes."
He left the door open behind him.
Miah listened to his footsteps go down the stairs.
Then she heard the kitchen.
Voices — low, clipped, not carrying clearly enough to make out words.
May you like
Then one sentence from Renee, sharp enough to cut through the floor.
"If you choose her, Daniel, you will regret it for the rest of your life."
