Chapter 2 - Claire’s POV

My tires squealed as I peeled out of the parking lot and sped away.

Savannah! My long-lost sister, back from the dead.

My stomach roiled. I was glad she was still alive. Of course I was. It had been painful to watch the light go out of my parents’ eyes, their despair as week after week went by with no word.

I just wished she’d stayed away from Derek. 

The look on his face had told me everything I needed to know. He was gazing at my sister with a tenderness and affection I had never seen before. Certainly not directed at me, and not even towards our daughter.  

The seven years of our marriage—seven long, bitterly patient years—suddenly felt like a cruel joke. Now that Savannah was back, there was no place for me in Derek’s heart. No amount of compromise and devotion could compete with a ghost come back to life. 

I’d spent years trying to prove my worth to a man who had never truly loved me. I’d buried my loneliness and swallowed my pride, trying to keep my family together. But now it was over. 

The endpoint of despair left me feeling strangely calm. 

Maybe it was time to stop fighting. 

Maybe it was time to let go.

My phone buzzed. 

I wiped my tears, blew my nose and reached for it. It was my daughter’s school. 

“Mrs. Arden? It’s Principal Lawson from Greenfield Academy. I’m calling about Emma. There’s been… an incident. She got into a fight with another student. Could you come to the school?”

My pulse spiked. “Is she hurt?”

“Oh, no, no. She’s fine,” the principal assured me. “We’d just like you and her father to come in to talk about it.”

“Of course. I’m on my way.” 

I stared at my phone and sighed, then dialed Derek’s number. 

“Yes?” His tone was cold and abrupt, but that was usual for him.

“Emma got into a fight at school and they need us to come.” My voice did not tremble. I was proud of myself.

“I’m in the middle of something right now. Can’t you handle it?” 

“She’s our daughter.” A slow-burning anger was kindling in my gut. 

“I have an important client meeting,” he said. “I’ll come by later.”

Once, I would have believed him. That version of me died this morning. “Derek,” I said quietly. “Either you meet me at the school in thirty minutes or we’re done.” My tone was flat and even. 

He hesitated, and that hesitation told me more than words ever could. “Fine,” he said. “I’ll be there soon.” 

***

I waited in the principal’s office, twisting my hands in my lap and watching the clock. At three o’clock Derek’s thirty-minute window would be up.

At two fifty-nine he walked in. His expression was composed and, beside him, her hand on his arm, was Savannah. 

My heart cracked open.

“Claire!” Savannah smiled at me, radiant as always. “How nice to see you! You look… well.” 

Her hand stayed on Derek’s arm and he didn’t remove it.

“Savannah.” I tried not to show the storm of emotions that was swirling inside my mind. “What a surprise.”

“Aren’t you glad to see me?” She looked hurt. “After the accident I washed up on an island off the coast of Morocco. A kind elderly couple found me and took me to the hospital, but I couldn’t remember anything. Not my name, nothing! I only remembered a few days ago, and of course—” She smiled at Derek and took a tighter grip on his arm. “The first thing I did was visit my family.”  

Just then the principal came in. She advanced towards the happy couple. “Mr. and Mrs. Arden, how nice to meet you!” she said. “Thank you for coming so quickly.”

A faint blush colored Savannah’s cheek. “Of course,” she said. “We’re both very concerned.”

And Derek, my husband and the father of my child, said nothing to correct her.

Something inside me twisted so sharply I almost doubled over. But I couldn’t show it. I wasn’t going to wash our dirty laundry at my daughter’s school and make her life more difficult than it already was.

Principal Lawson led us into her office. Another man, broad-shouldered with sandy brown hair, was already there, sitting in one of the chairs. He stood up when we entered and nodded at us. “Adrian Grady,” he introduced himself. “My son, Ethan, was the other student involved.” 

I nodded at him. 

Savannah smiled sweetly. He wasn’t as tall or as handsome as Derek, but there was something about Adrian, something strong and steady, that made him attractive.

And my sister could never resist an attractive man. 

The principal began explaining the situation, but my attention kept being drawn to small, painful details. The way Savannah tilted her head towards Derek. The way his eyes were drawn to her. The way she brushed her fingers across his sleeve.

Before we could get the full story, Savannah jumped in. “I’m sure it was the boy’s fault,” she said. “Emma’s such a sweet child. I’m sure she’d never start a fight.”

“You don’t even know her,” I thought. 

Adrian’s eyes narrowed. “Excuse me?” he said, his tone calm. “Were you there?”

Savannah blinked, caught off guard. “No, but—”

Another teacher came in, escorting the two children.

Emma ran towards me, hiding her head against my side. I put a protective arm around her.

I saw comprehension, along with embarrassment, dawn on the principal’s face. “Oh, so you are...”

Adrian’s clear gray eyes assessed the situation in a split second. He looked at Savannah, his expression cool. “I’d prefer to discuss this with the child’s actual parents,” he said evenly. “If you don’t mind.” 

Savannah’s smile faltered and Derek shifted uncomfortably.

For the first time that day, I felt like someone was on my side.

“Mommy, I didn’t mean to fight,” Emma signed, sniffling. “He just pulled my hearing aid off.” 

“That’s okay, sweetheart,” I said, brushing her hair back from her face. “Just tell us what happened.” 

She glanced nervously at Ethan, who was standing beside his father with downcast eyes. “I told him my mom dropped me off this morning… And, and he signed I was lucky. I told him I wasn’t lucky, because Dad wasn’t there. Then he got mad and grabbed it.” 

The boy’s lip trembled, but he didn’t say anything. He just clung more tightly to his father’s waist.   

Adrian sighed softly. “I’m sorry,” he said. “He’s been having a difficult time. My wife passed away three years ago… He hasn’t spoken a word since then, and he’s sensitive to someone even mentioning the word—” He put his hand on his son’s shoulder, mouthing the word ‘mom’. 

A heavy silence filled the room.

I looked at the boy, at the pain in his eyes, and all my anger drained away. “It’s alright,” I said. “They’re just children.”

***

After the meeting ended, I gathered up Emma’s things. Derek stepped forward, offering his hand. “Let me drive you both home,” he said. 

I opened my mouth to refuse, but before I could say anything, Savannah spoke. 

Her voice was light, almost teasing. “Oh, I’d love to come along! I haven’t seen your house since you got married. It would be wonderful to visit.”

My grip on Emma’s backpack tightened. I waited for Derek to say no, to show that there were still some boundaries between them. 

He didn’t.

Instead, he smiled. “Sure. Why not?” he said.