Sophie blinked.
“We’re going?”
“Yes.”
As I opened the hall closet, I noticed something behind a box of scarves—the old pink beach shovel.
Sophie picked it up.
“You still have this?”
“I think part of me was waiting for your father to keep one promise.”
She held it against her chest.
“Can I bring it?”
“Absolutely.”
I didn’t call Nathan.
For eleven years, he had controlled the story.
This time, he would discover the truth when we walked directly into it.
PART 2
Sophie held the faded pink shovel in her lap during the drive. Caleb wore headphones in the back seat, although I could tell no music was playing. When we finally pulled into the beach house driveway, Linda was already walking toward us.
She stopped in front of me.
“I owe you much more than an apology.”
“Yes, you do. And I want everything said openly. No whispers. No excuses. No pretending this was some misunderstanding.”
“You have my word.”
When Sophie stepped from the car, Linda looked as though she wanted to hug her but stopped herself.
“Sophie, I am so sorry. I truly believed you weren’t here because your mother wanted distance. I never knew you thought we didn’t want you.”
Sophie held the shovel against her side.
“You never called me.”
Linda flinched.
“No. I didn’t. That was my mistake.”
Nathan’s father, Thomas, appeared on the porch as Caleb climbed from the car.
“Claire? What’s happening?”
“Nathan told my children that you didn’t want them here.”
Thomas’s face went pale.
“He told us you refused to come.”
Before I could respond, the screen door opened and Aurora stepped outside. She looked at me, then Sophie and Caleb, and immediately understood something was wrong.
“Claire, I thought you knew Ava and I came every year. Linda told me about your call.”
“I knew Nathan had a past. I didn’t know he was using that past as an excuse to leave his own children out of his present.”
Aurora shook her head.
“I thought I was respecting your wishes.”
“I never made those wishes.”
“I’m sorry.”
Ava appeared behind her mother, looking confused and embarrassed. I knew immediately that none of this belonged on her shoulders.
“I don’t want any of our children blamed for Nathan’s lies.”
Aurora nodded.
“Neither do I.”
