Chapter 59 Cam
CAM
Me: Hey. Just checking in. How are you doing?
The three dots appeared almost immediately. Then disappeared. Appeared again. I stared at the screen like an idiot, my coffee going cold on the counter.
Emily: I’m okay. Tired. Pickles snores like a mac truck.
Me: Sounds terrible.
Emily: He’s currently using my leg as a pillow and I can’t feel my foot.
Me: A small price to pay for his affection.
Emily: Worth it, tbh.
I smiled at my phone like a lovesick teenager. Pathetic. Completely pathetic.
Me: You need anything?
Emily: No. I’m good. Mia’s feeding me like I’m a baby bird and Cassidy keeps making me drink water.
Me: Good. Let them fuss.
Emily: I am. It’s actually kind of nice.
A pause. Then:
Emily: Thank you. For coming. For everything.
My heart squeezed so hard I had to rub my chest.
Me: Always.
Saturday, 6:23 PM
Me: The girls asked about you today. Told them you were having a sleepover with your friends.
Emily: What did they say?
Me: Alice wanted to know if you were eating cookies for dinner. Audrey said sleepovers are important for “emotional regulation.”
Emily: Omg where did she learn that?
Me: No idea. She’s seven going on forty.
Emily: She’s not wrong though.
Me: She rarely is. It’s terrifying.
Emily: Give them a hug from me?
Me: Will do.
Sunday, 7:14 PM
My phone buzzed while I was putting the girls to bed. I didn’t check it until they were both asleep, tucked in and dreaming, then I grabbed it on my way back downstairs.
Emily: So. My parents showed up today.
I stopped in the middle of the hallway, my grip tightening on the phone.
Me: What happened?
Emily: I didn’t see them. Jack saw them pull up on the security camera and asked me if I wanted to talk to them.
Emily: I said fuck no and hid upstairs while Jack went to the door.
Emily: I don’t know exactly what he said but his voice got very quiet and very calm and then the door closed and they were gone.
The breath left my lungs in a rush. I was already halfway to the counter to grab my keys before my brain caught up with the rest of the message. I forced myself to stop. To breathe.
Me: Jack’s a good man.
Emily: He really is. Mia’s lucky.
Emily: When he came back in, he just said, “They won’t be bothering you again” and went back to his book.
Me: That’s exactly what you needed.
Emily: Yeah. It was.
A pause. The dots appeared and disappeared a few times.
Emily: I thought I’d feel something. Relief or anger or something. But I just felt... tired.
Me: That’s okay. You don’t have to feel anything right now.
Emily: I know. It’s just weird. I spent so long being afraid of exactly this happening, and now it’s like... I don’t know. I just feel numb. And a bit confused because the sky hasn’t fallen in.
Me: That sounds like progress to me.
Emily: Maybe.
Emily: Anyway. I just wanted to tell you.
Me: I’m glad you did.
Emily: Goodnight, Cam.
Me: Goodnight, sweetheart.
Monday, 4:34 PM
Emily: I went to work today.
Me: Yeah? How was it?
Emily: Good actually. Nice to have something to focus on. Mia kept looking at me like I was going to shatter but I told her I was fine and eventually she believed me.
Emily: Or at least she pretended to.
Me: Baby steps.
Emily: Exactly.
Emily: How are the girls?
I grinned, already pulling up the photo I’d just taken.
Me: [image attached]
Me: Alice decided her stuffed animals needed a formal education. She’s running a classroom in the living room.
Emily: OH MY GOD.
Emily: Is that a whiteboard??
Me: She found it in the garage. I have no idea where it came from.
Emily: And Audrey’s a student??
Me: Audrey is the teaching assistant. She takes attendance.
Emily: I’m deceased. This is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.
Me: She asked if you could come be a guest speaker sometime. Topic of your choice.
Emily: Tell her I’d be honored.
Emily: I miss them.
The words hit me square in the chest.
Me: They miss you too.
Me: So do I.
The dots appeared. Disappeared. Appeared again.
Emily: I miss you too.
Tuesday, 10:17 AM
Emily: I made an appointment.
Me: For what?
Emily: Therapy. There’s a woman in Vanceboro that Mia’s therapist recommended. I see her next Thursday.
I read the message three times. Then I leaned against my truck because my legs felt a little unsteady.
Me: Em. That’s huge.
Emily: Yeah, not gonna lie. I’m terrified.
Me: I think that’s normal, after everything you’ve been through.
Emily: I guess so.
Emily: I almost canceled it twice already and it’s been like a few hours.
Me: But you didn’t.
Emily: No. I didn’t.
Me: I’m proud of you.
Emily: Don’t make me cry. I just did my mascara.
Me: …
I love you
I stared at the words until they blurred. Then I held down the backspace button until they were gone.
Tuesday, 8:42 PM
Emily: [image attached]
I opened it to find a canvas covered in shades of deep blue and silver, something abstract and moody that made me think of night skies and quiet lakes.
Emily: I painted today. First time since... everything.
Me: It’s beautiful.
Emily: It’s messy.
Me: Still beautiful.
Emily: You’re biased.
Me: Absolutely. Doesn’t make me wrong.
Emily: Okay that was smooth. I’ll give you that one.
Me: I have my moments.
Wednesday, 3:45 PM
Me: [image attached]
Me: The girls made this for you.
The photo showed a large piece of paper covered in crayon drawings. Two small figures with yellow hair holding hands with a taller figure. Hearts everywhere. “WE MISS YOU EMILY” written across the top in wobbly letters.
Emily: Cam.
Emily: I’m crying now. I hope you’re happy.
Me: That wasn’t my intention but I’m not sorry.
Emily: They’re so sweet. I don’t deserve them.
Me: Yes, you do.
Emily: I’m putting this on my fridge when I get home.
When I get home. The words lodged somewhere in my chest and stayed there.