Chapter 14 #2
Zoe's breathing is uneven, hitching slightly like she's been crying or is trying not to.
Finally, without looking at me, she speaks. Her voice is small and raw.
"I messed up again."
It's not a question. It's a statement, delivered with a kind of tired resignation that breaks my heart.
"You want to tell me what happened?" I keep my voice gentle. Neutral.
Zoe hunches further. "Madison said I didn't deserve to get the solo." Her mouth twists. "And then she said that thing. About Dad."
I nod slowly. "Okay. You lost your temper and got physical. That's not okay, but at least you know it."
My jaw tightens, but I keep my face calm.
"That was cruel," I say simply. "She shouldn't have said it."
Zoe lets out a short, bitter laugh. "But she's not wrong, is she? My dad doesn't want us anymore."
Zoe's bottom lip trembles as she finally looks at me.
"Mom's going to be so disappointed. Again."
"Your mom is terrified right now," I tell her. "She's out driving around, looking for you, probably imagining every terrible thing that could've happened. But disappointed? No. Worried, yes. Disappointed, no."
Zoe's face crumples and she looks years older than her thirteen years. At this very moment, I hate Mitchell Lark for this.
"I keep messing everything up. I make Mom's life harder. I can't stop getting in trouble. I—" Her voice breaks, and the tears she's been holding back spill over. "I made Dad leave by being such a bitch."
I shift closer. "Zoe, look at me."
She does, reluctantly.
"You did not make your dad leave," I say, firm and clear. "That was his choice. Not yours."
"But if I was better, if I was nicer or quieter or less trouble, maybe he would've stayed." The words come fast and jagged, and I recognize the hurt under them. "Maybe he'd want to see us."
"No." I don't let my voice waver. "You're a good kid, Zoe. You're smart and talented and you love your family fiercely. Your dad leaving had nothing to do with you. Nothing."
Zoe stares at me, lip trembling. "But I'm so angry all the time. And I take it out on Mom. She's working so hard, and all I do is make it worse for her."
My throat tightens. "Your mom thinks you're incredible. She's proud of you. And yeah, you're going through something. You're making mistakes. That doesn't make you a bad kid. It makes you a kid dealing with hard stuff."
"I don't know how to stop," Zoe whispers. "I don't know how to not be angry."
"You start by saying the real thing out loud," I tell her. "Before it turns into something you can't control. And you accept help when it's offered. You don't have to carry this alone."
Zoe goes quiet, processing. Then, in a voice so small I almost miss it, she murmurs, "Do you think I deserve it? What Dad did after I ruined Jasmine’s dress?"
The question guts me.
I reach out and gently tip her chin up so she has to look at me. "No. Absolutely not. You deserved a father who showed up. Who put you first."
Zoe's eyes go glassy.
"And Zoe?" I add, softer now. "You're going to get through this. Your mom is not giving up on you. Neither am I."
The dam breaks.
Zoe launches herself at me, wrapping her thin arms around my neck and sobbing into my shoulder. I hold her carefully, one hand on her back, letting her cry. Her wings tremble against my arm.
"I'm sorry," she gasps between sobs. "I'm so sorry."
"I know," I murmur. "I know. You're okay."
We sit like that for several moments, Zoe crying and me holding her, the late afternoon sun filtering through the oak leaves and dappling us in shifting light and shadow.
When she finally pulls back, her face is blotchy and her eyes are swollen, but she looks lighter somehow.
I pull out my phone and text Rika.
ME: Found her. Town square playground. She's okay.
The response is immediate.
Rika: Thank God. I'm five minutes away.
Zoe wipes her face with the sleeve of her hoodie. "Is Mom really mad?"
I shake my head. "She's relieved. Come on."
Rika's car pulls up to the curb moments later, tires crunching on gravel. She's out of the driver's seat before the engine is fully off, and Matthew tumbles out of the back seat right behind her, still clutching Mr. Gears.
The moment Zoe sees her mother, something in her face crumples all over again. She runs to Rika, and they collide in a tangle of arms and wings, both of them crying now.
Rika holds her daughter like she's afraid she'll disappear if she lets go, her face buried in Zoe's sapphire hair.
"I'm sorry, Mom," Zoe sobs. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt Maddie."
"Shh," Rika murmurs, stroking her hair. "It's okay, baby. You're okay. That's all that matters."
Matthew joins the hug, wrapping his small arms around both of them, and for a moment they're just a family, messy and hurting but together.
I stand back, giving them space, my throat tight.
When they finally separate, all three of them are red-eyed but steadier. Rika looks at me over Zoe's head, gratitude written all over her face.
"Thank you," she mouths silently.
I nod.
The drive back to the house is quiet. Rika drives with Matthew in the passenger seat, and I follow in my SUV with Zoe.
Back at the house, we gather in the entryway.
The air is still heavy, but it's no longer crushing.
Rika has her arm around Zoe's shoulders, and Matthew sticks close on her other side.
I take a breath and look at Zoe. "Alright. We need to talk about consequences."
Rika stiffens, protective instincts flaring. "Noah, I don't think now is the time."
"Now is exactly the time," I say gently but firmly. "Kids need to know there are boundaries they can’t cross. Zoe crossed a boundary today when she ran away. Discipline is a way of showing love, too.”
Rika opens her mouth at this, then closes it. She seems taken aback by my words, but after a few moments, she nods.
I turn back to Zoe. "You know what you did was wrong. You got physical with another student, and you left without telling anyone where you were going. You scared a lot of people, Zoe."
Zoe's chin wobbles, but she nods. "I know."
I keep my tone calm and clear. "So here's what's going to happen. You're grounded for the rest of the week. No going out with friends, no cell phone. And you owe Ms. Langford and Madison an apology."
Rika starts to protest. "Noah, she's been through enough today."
But Zoe interrupts, voice small but steady. "It's okay, Mom. He's right."
She reaches into her pocket, pulls out her phone, and hands it to me without being asked.
"I'm sorry. I know I messed up. And I'm sorry I scared you." Her voice cracks on the last word, and Rika's expression crumples.
"Oh, baby." Rika pulls Zoe into another hug, and this time it's softer. Less desperate. "I love you so much."
Then Zoe pulls back, wipes her eyes one last time, and looks between Rika and me with an expression that's equal parts exhausted and mischievous.
"You two should date," she says flatly, like she's commenting on the weather.
The words hang in the air like a grenade with the pin pulled.
Rika's mouth falls open. I freeze mid-breath. Matthew looks confused, gaze darting between the adults.
Zoe shrugs, already turning toward the stairs. She pauses on the bottom step, glancing back over her shoulder.
"Just saying."
And then she's gone, climbing the stairs with Matthew trailing behind her, leaving Rika and me standing alone in the sudden, thick quiet.