Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
By the time they got home from church, Mattie had reached that particular kind of tired that came from sitting still too long and being told, repeatedly, to use his indoor voice. Children’s church hadn’t worn him out the way Essie had hoped it would.
He hadn’t melted down yet, but Essie could see it coming like gathering storm clouds. Liliana carried Mira in, carefully navigating the front steps. The toddler’s cheeks were pink and her eyes heavy with sleep.
Essie unlocked the door and stepped inside first, letting the familiar coolness of the house wrap around them.
“Shoes,” she said automatically as Mattie started to race into the living room.
He skidded to a stop, then worked at his sneakers with exaggerated frustration, huffing loudly as if no one in history had ever been asked to remove footwear before.
Liliana smiled faintly. “We should have brought more snacks.”
“We should have brought more snacks and more patience,” Essie said, and that earned her a tired laugh. “Don’t worry, I’ll get some lunch together quickly, then we can head to the pool and eat there.”
“Sounds good,” Liliana said. “I’ll get Mattie into his trunks.”
Essie didn’t change, just went straight to the kitchen. Church had been comforting, but it also took energy. All that smiling and talking to people and managing the children. Essie loved her church family, but by the time she got home, she was ready to unwind.
She still wished Sophie had come.
Essie had invited her, gently, the way she tried to invite Sophie to everything now. Without any pressure and without any kind of expectation.
Sophie had been polite, brief, and distant. Like yesterday had never happened. No, thanks. I’m going to the beach.
As Essie pulled a pitcher of lemonade out of the fridge, she told herself it was all right. The beach made sense for Sophie in a way little else did. If she needed space, that was the place to get it.
Still, Essie had hoped. She thought church would do the young woman some good. The people were so warm and friendly. She’d felt like that was the kind of support Sophie needed. If she’d even let herself be supported like that.
Which, obviously, she hadn’t.
Mattie came running back into the living room in his swimsuit.
Essie guided him toward the living room with a soft suggestion to pick a book while she got lunch made. The kitchen was where she knew exactly what to do, even when she didn’t know what to do with people.
She washed her hands before getting into things, then went back to the fridge. They needed simple and fast. Sandwiches would be easy, especially as she’d made tuna salad that morning for this very reason.
She’d add some sliced oranges on the side and maybe chips for Mattie.
That should be enough to hold them until an early dinner.
Thankfully, the pool should burn off the rest of his restless energy and keep the afternoon from going sideways.
She’d get a cabana, if there was one available, and Mira could sleep in there under the fan if she needed to nap some more. Maybe Mattie would nap, too.
Essie might even join them.
She pulled out bread and the container of tuna salad, set them on the counter, then grabbed a cutting board and a knife. She started assembling the sandwiches and cutting them up, putting them all into a big container.
In the living room, Mattie raced his toy cars on the carpet. She wished she had half his energy.
“Mom? I’m going to change.” Liliana came out with her suit draped over her arm.
“Okay.”
“Mira’s still sleeping in the bedroom.”
“I’ll listen for her.”
“Thanks.” Liliana disappeared into the master bathroom, and for a few minutes Essie had the kitchen to herself.
She cut the last sandwich in half, then reached for the fruit. Orange slices were always good. Maybe she’d bring a baggie of gummy worms, too. Mattie loved those.
Her mind drifted, as it often did these days, back to Sophie.
Maybe it was Essie’s maternal instincts at work, but she couldn’t help but be worried about her.
Couldn’t help but wonder whether she’d eaten anything.
Whether she would come back in time for lunch.
Whether it was better to text and ask if Sophie wanted to join them at the pool again, or if it was better just to leave her alone like she seemed to want.
Every choice felt like it carried the risk of pushing Sophie further away. Just when Essie had thought she was making progress.
She was getting some snack packs of cookies out of the pantry when Liliana came back in her swimsuit and coverup.
Essie knew something was wrong immediately.
Her daughter’s face had gone still in a way Essie recognized. Something was bothering her.
“Mom,” Liliana said quietly.
Essie closed the pantry door. “What is it?”
Liliana’s voice stayed low, careful. “I peeked into the guest room because the door was open. All of Sophie’s stuff is gone.”
Essie gripped the cookie packs a little too tightly. “Gone,” she repeated, as if it might mean something else if she said it out loud.
Liliana nodded. “Everything. Her suitcase. Her toiletries and makeup. The clothes she had on the chair. I checked the closet, too. There’s nothing.”
Essie stared at her daughter for a long moment, trying to make this work with everything she’d been telling herself. Sophie just needed space and time, but she was coming around.
How wrong she’d been. A hollow feeling opened in Essie’s chest. “She didn’t say anything about leaving,” Essie whispered.
Liliana shook her head. “Not to me either. But then, why would she?”
Essie put the cookies on the counter next to the container of sandwiches, fingers trembling slightly even though she tried to still them.
She looked toward the hallway. Toward the guest room. “I need to call Frank.”
“Go ahead,” Liliana said. “I’ll make sure Mattie stays quiet.”
Essie went into the bedroom and closed the door most of the way behind her, leaving it cracked just enough that she could still hear the sounds of the house. She sat on the edge of the bed, phone in hand. She hesitated for half a second before tapping Frank’s name.
It rang twice before he answered. “Hey,” he said, his voice warm and immediately familiar, the faint echo telling her he was probably in a hotel room. “How are you, sweetheart?”
“I’m all right, I guess,” Essie said. “Do you have a minute?”
“Of course I do. What’s going on?”
She kept her voice steady as she explained how things had been going with Sophie.
How she thought she’d had a breakthrough, but then how Sophie had gone to the beach instead of church.
Then how they’d come home to find Sophie’s things were gone.
Essie did her best not to make things sound more dramatic than they were, but she didn’t soften it, either.
Frank was quiet for a moment. “She didn’t say anything to you?”
“No,” Essie said. “I asked her to come with us this morning. She said she was going to the beach. Those were the last words I had with her.”
Essie’s gaze drifted to the carrier on the bed, where Mira slept so peacefully, one little fist curled near her cheek. The little girl made a soft sound in her sleep, then settled again, utterly unaware of anything else that was going on. As it should be.
Essie watched the slow, steady rise and fall of her chest and felt some of the stress from Sophie loosen just a fraction.
Frank sighed. “I’m sorry you’re dealing with this. I should be there.”
“You’re doing what needs to be done. But I don’t know if this means she’s gone for good or if she just needed space,” Essie said.
“And she didn’t leave a note. I don’t want Liliana thinking she and the kids are the reason Sophie bolted.
She knew they were coming. I told her that when she showed up. ”
“You did the right thing calling me,” Frank said. His voice was calm, but Essie could hear the worry underneath it. “She’s a grown woman and capable of making her own decisions. Obviously, they aren’t usually good ones.”
“True. But I keep thinking I should have said something different,” Essie admitted. “Or said more. Or maybe less. I don’t know.”
“This isn’t on you,” he said gently. “You can’t force her to do anything, Essie.
You’ve been kind. You’ve been patient. You’ve shown her who you really are.
It might just be that she’s realized how wrong she’s been about you and couldn’t face you again until she figured out what to do with that information. ”
“Maybe.” Essie nodded, even though he couldn’t see her. “Let’s hope that’s it. Anyway, I should get back to Liliana and the kids. I just wanted you to know what was going on. In case she reaches out to you.”
“If she does, I’ll tell you,” Frank said. “And when I get home, we’ll figure out the next steps together.”
She watched Mira sleep and let that reassurance sink in. “Okay,” she said softly. “It was good to hear your voice. Tell Chad I said hello. I love you.”
“I love you, too,” he said. “And I miss you like crazy. Give the kids a hug for me.”
“I will,” she said.
After they hung up, Essie stayed where she was for another moment, phone resting in her lap, eyes still on Mira. What a precious child.
But Sophie was no less precious just because she was grown. She was still Frank’s daughter. The hurt Sophie was dealing with had to feel insurmountable to drive her this way.
Sophie might think being alone was the right move, but Essie didn’t. She wished Sophie would let them help her. That she’d acknowledge her grief and let them in. In Essie’s mind, it would be so much easier if those walls would just come down.
Was it pride keeping them in place?
Essie had no idea. Just like she had no idea what Sophie was running from. Or toward. All Essie could hope was that she was safe.
And that she would eventually come back.