37
T he following day, Emily awoke to a deep ache in her entire body, feeling as if she hadn’t slept. Just as she struggled to open her eyes, Ava burst into the room, brimming with energy. She clambered onto the bed and began hopping up and down. “Wake up, Mommy!” Ava exclaimed; her voice filled with excitement.
“Ava, honey, I’m going to need you to stop jumping.”
“Okay,” Ava said and flopped down beside Emily.
“Where’s Daddy?”
“He’s downstairs.”
Glancing at the clock on the nightstand, Emily asked, “Are the boys up?”
“No.”
Emily pulled the towel off her head and reluctantly climbed out of bed. If she didn’t get the boys up soon, they would be late for school again. She started with Hunter’s room, lightly tapping on the door before opening it and stepping inside. Approaching his bed, she gently placed a hand on his shoulder. “Hunter, it’s time to get up,” she said softly.
His eyes flew open, and he bolted upright in bed, wrapping his arms around her tightly. “You’re okay,” he exclaimed, relief flooding his voice.
Surprised by his reaction, Emily hugged him back. “Yes, I’m fine,” she reassured him gently.
“Where’s Dad?” Hunter asked, pulling away just enough to look at her.
“He’s downstairs,” she replied with a slight smile.
Without another word, Hunter released her and leaped out of bed, dashing out of the room in search of his father.
Emily headed to Hayden’s room next, but before she could knock, the door swung open, and he stumbled out, bumping into her.
She stepped backward, and he quickly reached out to steady her. “Sorry,” he mumbled, a bit groggily.
“It’s okay. Good morning,” she replied, her voice warm.
He managed to smile. “Morning.”
Seeing his rare smile, Emily felt a surge of emotion welling inside her, misting her eyes. Will he finally be kind to me now when it might be too late? She wondered. She longed to say so much more, to bridge the gap between them, but before she could find the words, he was already gone, descending the stairs with a fleeting presence.
Emily descended the stairs and found Gabriel in the kitchen, surrounded by the boys, who were peppering him with questions about the night before. As she headed to the coffee maker to start a pot, she heard Gabriel say, “I promise I’ll explain everything after school.”
“No!” Hunter demanded answers. He had never raised his voice at his father before, and Emily quickly turned her head to gauge Gabriel’s reaction. She expected Gabriel to yell back at Hunter and put him in his place, but instead, he lowered his head and quietly walked out of the room, his shoulders heavy with unspoken burdens.
“What’s wrong with him?” Hunter pleaded as he looked to Emily for answers.
“Your father messed up. Now he is dealing with the consequences of his actions,” she said softly, placing a gentle hand on Hunter’s arm. “I know this doesn’t make sense right now, and you both deserve answers. I promise you’ll get them. But your dad needs your compassion right now. I’m worried he’s on the verge of a breakdown. We can’t push him. Please give him some time. He’ll explain everything when he’s ready.”
Both boys nodded, and Emily said, “Good, now get ready for school. I’ll take you in a few minutes.”
When Emily returned from dropping the kids off at school, she was surprised to find Gabriel in his office, dressed for the day and diligently working on something. As she entered the room, he looked up at her and quickly stashed away the documents he had been focused on.
“What are you doing?” she asked, standing beside him.
“Nothing,” he replied, locking the drawer where he had just placed the papers. He got up from the desk, put the key into his pocket, and left the office.
“Where are you going?”
“To the hospital. I have a meeting with the social worker.”
Emily followed Gabriel out of the room and asked, “Can you give me a few minutes? I’ll go with you.”
“I have other things I need to take care of. It would probably be best if you drove yourself,” he responded curtly.
Emily reached out and grabbed his arm, halting him in his tracks. “Wait. Can we talk about this?”
“I don’t have time. We’ll talk later,” Gabriel responded, as he pulled his arm free from her grasp and walked away.
Emily watched him leave, trying to suppress the sickening feeling gnawing at the pit of her stomach. In all their years of marriage, she had never seen Gabriel like this, and she was at a loss for how to reach him.
Emily waited for the front door to close, then ran to the window to watch Gabriel’s car pull away. Once he was gone, she hurried back to his office and tried to open the desk drawer. Frustrated, she searched for a spare key but came up empty-handed. Determined, she attempted to pick the lock with a letter opener, but her efforts were in vain. After twenty frustrating minutes of trying and failing, she finally gave up and left for the hospital.