Chapter 4

By the time the ceremony got to the rings, Graham finally realized something was off.

He called me. It wouldn't go through.

He called Maisie's smartwatch. It was powered off.

The officiant smiled and prompted him from the front, "You may kiss the bride."

Lydia tipped her face up, triumph all over it.

Graham shoved her away.

"Where's Tessa?"

Lydia's smile froze.

"Where would she go? She's probably home waiting for you to come talk her down."

Someone in the crowd laughed.

Graham gripped his phone. His color kept draining.

He pulled up the home cameras.

The living room was empty.

Couch gone. Coffee table gone. Maisie's favorite bookcase gone.

There was a pale rectangle on the wall where the family portrait had been.

His breath stopped, and he turned and ran off the platform.

Lydia grabbed his arm.

"Graham, are you out of your mind? My ex is sitting right out there."

For the first time, Graham tore his arm free.

"Get off."

Lydia stared.

"You're taking that tone with me? Over her?"

Graham didn't answer.

He ran out of the hotel without even taking the ring.

20 minutes later, he opened our front door.

The house was empty enough to echo.

Maisie's bedroom door was half open.

He went in and found a notebook on her desk.

The first page had a writing assignment on it.

The title was "My Dad."

Maisie had written three lines and crossed out every one.

One sentence was left.

"I used to have a dad. Now I don't."

Graham's fingers shook so hard he could barely hold the page.

The torn half of the family photo was still in the trash can.

He was smiling in it.

Like the punch line of a joke.

Heels sounded at the front door.

Lydia had followed him, out of breath.

"Graham, stop it. There were hundreds of people at that wedding and you left me standing there. How am I supposed to show my face after this?"

Graham raised his head slowly.

"You told me she'd never leave."

Lydia's eyes flickered.

"She's using the kid to scare you.

"I've seen a hundred women like her. Give it a few days. She runs out of money, she comes back."

Right then his phone rang.

It was Renee.

"Mr. Bennett, I'm calling on behalf of Tessa Weller.

"The house has been listed for sale by the titleholder. Please collect your personal belongings within three days.

"Custody, records transfer, and the name-change petition are all filed.

"Route anything further through me. Don't contact Ms. Weller or the child directly."

The last of the color left Graham's face.

"She's changing Maisie's name?

"On what grounds?"

Renee's voice stayed level.

"On the grounds that you signed away primary custody six times.

"And that your daughter told the evaluator she doesn't want to be alone with you."

Graham looked like he'd been hit square in the face.

He turned toward Maisie's room.

It was stripped bare. The only thing left was a birthday sticker in the corner that the movers had missed.

In crooked handwriting it said, "Dad is coming home this year."

Maisie had stuck it there herself, last year.

She waited until midnight and fell asleep at the dining table.

Graham had spent that whole night parked outside Lydia's building, listening to the rain with her.

He'd figured a kid was easy enough to make it up to later.

He was only understanding now that kids don't forget.

She'd just wanted to love him too badly to say so.

The call ended.

Graham stood in the empty house and started dialing my number like a man coming apart.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Blocked every time.

Maisie's smartwatch wouldn't connect either.

And he finally got it.

This wasn't another standoff.

It wasn't another performance.

My daughter and I were done with him.