Chapter 3 - The Cold Drive
The rain was falling in steady, icy sheets as I buckled Emma into her booster seat in the back of my SUV.
Her small face was pale, her left cheek showing a distinct, dark red handprint where Karen’s palm had struck her skin. Her lower lip was trembling, but she still hadn't shed a single tear.
I climbed into the driver’s seat, locked the doors, and turned on the heater.
I reached back, gently taking Emma’s ice-cold hand in mine. “Emma, sweetie... look at Mommy.”
Emma raised her big brown eyes to mine. “Mommy... did I do something bad?”
A wave of fierce, blinding grief and rage surged through my chest, but I forced my voice to stay smooth, warm, and gentle.
“No, baby. You did nothing wrong,” I said softly, reaching back to gently cup her uninjured cheek. “Aunt Karen was completely wrong. She had no right to touch you, no right to yell at you, and no right to take your toy.”
“Why didn't Daddy stop her?” Emma asked, her small voice breaking.
That question broke my heart into a thousand pieces.
“Daddy made a mistake today, Emma,” I managed to say, swallowing the lump of rust in my throat. “A very big mistake. But Mommy is here. And I will never, ever let anyone hurt you again. Do you hear me?”
Emma nodded slowly. Then, finally, the shock wore off. Tears spilled over her eyelashes, and she began to sob quietly in her seat.
I unbuckled my belt, climbed into the back seat beside her, and pulled my eight-year-old daughter tightly into my lap. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close against my heart while the rain hammered against the glass roof of the car.
My phone on the dashboard began to buzz relentlessly.
Daniel calling. Daniel calling. Text message from Evelyn: "Rachel, you are making a scene. Come back inside so we can resolve this as a family." Text message from Daniel: "Rachel please answer. My dad is furious. Where are you going?"
I reached forward, tapped the screen, and switched the phone entirely to Do Not Disturb.
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I started the engine, pulled out of the long, cobblestone driveway of the Miller estate, and drove toward the only place where I knew we would be safe and cherished.
My sister Sarah’s house.
