Novels by felixmaurer870

POV: DaisyI read the notice, slid it into the envelope, and hoped hiding it might make it less true. Emma squeezed my arm without a word, which was the kindest thing she could have done. I got through the rest of the day on the same instinct as the morning, grading color wheels without seeing them and smiling at children whose chatter was still full of the visit.That evening I carried the letter home in my bag, where it sat through dinner, bath time, and Oliver's endless bedtime questions. When he fell asleep, I closed his door, took the notice out, and sat down at the kitchen table. Dad was already sitting there, watching me come in."He's going to be there every month," I said, my voice dropping so low it barely carried across the table.Dad didn't look up from the mug of tea between his hands. The kitchen remained quiet except for the steady hum of the refrigerator in the corner, with Oliver asleep down the hall. "Every month," he repeated, his tone flat."Principal Hayes told me

POV: Jace"Where?" I asked, my voice rougher than I meant it to be.Ethan named a restaurant and told me to ask for the private room at the back. When I said I would be a while, he did not argue. He only said, "Don't make it too long," and ended the call.I stayed where I was, the photograph still in my hand. I told myself I was only deciding what to wear, but the truth was I could not make myself put her face down. When I finally did, I slid it back into the box with the ticket stubs and the pressed flower, set the lid on loosely, and left the box on the edge of the bed where I had been sitting. Then I grabbed my keys and my jacket and walked out into the evening, already knowing I would be late.The door to the private room clicked shut behind me, sealing off the quiet chatter of the main restaurant floor. Ethan was already sitting at the corner booth, a stack of manila folders and printed documents spread across the table between us. I walked straight to the booth, gave him a short

POV: DaisyI did not answer him. I stood in the doorway of his room until his breathing deepened again, then went back to my own bed and managed to sleep a little, listening to the refrigerator hum and hearing his small voice ask the question over and over. Does the hockey man have a little boy? I had no answer I could say aloud, even to the quiet night.Morning came anyway. I woke Oliver up from sleep, carried him into the bathroom to brush his teeth and give him a warm bath, and helped him get dressed. After that, I went into the bathroom to take my own quick bath, brush my teeth, and dress in my professional clothes for school. I joined him and my father at the kitchen table for breakfast, eating a quiet meal together before we stepped out for the morning. I walked Oliver to his preschool down the street, kissed the top of his messy dark-blond head, and stood on the sidewalk longer than I needed to, as if I could hold the whole building steady around him. Then I walked on to Maple

POV: JaceI sat on the bench in the empty locker room, listening to the lights hum and to a distant door bang shut in the tunnel. My phone lay beside me, and I realized I had just erased Daisy's name from a search bar that could have given me answers.I thought about Ethan and the files he had tried to show me, the ones I had ignored because it was easier to believe my mother. I thought about the little boy swinging his wooden stick. I picked up my bag, left the locker room without a word to the empty hallways, and drove home through the quiet city streets.I walked through the front door of my penthouse and left the television off. The large rooms felt quiet as I dropped my keys on the entryway table. For once, I did not reach for the remote control. I walked past the living room and down the hallway, flicking on the wall switch to light my way into my bedroom.I reached up to the top shelf of my closet, my fingers brushing against the painted shelf until they found the edge of the c

POV: DaisyEmma was quiet for a long moment after I said it. Then she told me, very gently, that she would answer if I called, no matter the hour, and I promised I would. I ended the call and stood on the walkway until my hands stopped shaking enough to hold the phone steady. Through the lit window I could see Oliver's shadow still bouncing back and forth, swinging his stick, and I pressed the heel of my hand against my mouth until I trusted my face.Then I climbed the front steps and opened the door. Dad was waiting just past the entryway, and the tight crease around his mouth showed he was still thinking about our worried phone call from earlier that afternoon. When our eyes met, I gave him the smallest shake of my head and glanced toward the living room, where Oliver was already hunting for his picture books.Not in front of him."After he's asleep," I whispered.Dad nodded once and stepped aside to let me pass.I walked straight down the hall into my bedroom, peeling off my stiff

POV: JaceI got through the rest of that visit on instinct. I stood in front of the banner with Principal Hayes and a crowd of art students, and I smiled the practiced smile, teeth showing, eyes bright, while every camera flash felt like a hand pulling me further from the one corner of that gym that mattered. Between shots, I scanned the rows of teachers standing near the gym wall, searching for her stiff posture and the high-collared cardigan. She was gone. When Principal Hayes asked if I was feeling all right, I blamed the schedule, and she believed me, because it was an easy thing to believe.I do not remember the ride out of Willow Creek in the back of the Kingston Global Foundation's SUV, sharing a quiet car with Ethan while our PR team murmured over the next day's plans. That night, in the silence of my penthouse, exhaustion finally dragged me down into a few hours of restless, dream-filled sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw a small boy holding a wooden stick and a pair o