He turned toward me.
“I was making sure!”Get Writing Tools
Travis’s voice hardened. “She said, ‘Daddy keeps asking like I’m saying it wrong.’”
I covered my mouth. Suddenly, Emma’s behavior made sense.
Travis continued.
“I talked to him a few days ago. Told him if he had a problem with me, he should talk to me. Stop putting Emma in the middle.”
Ryan laughed bitterly. “You told me how to parent my daughter.”
“I told you to stop making her think she’s lying because she won’t give you the answer you want.” Travis glanced between us. “He said he’d handle it.”
And Ryan’s solution had been to remove Travis.
Ryan pointed at him. “This proves exactly what I’ve been saying. Why is my seven-year-old discussing me with you?”
Travis
stared at him. “Because you kept asking her about me.”
Ryan fell silent.
NEXT PAGE
But the real question remained.
What was he actually afraid of?
I turned to Travis. “You should have told me.”
He nodded immediately.
“You’re right. I thought he’d fix it,” Travis said. “I was wrong.”
Ryan began pacing.
“You don’t understand.”
“What don’t I understand?” I asked.
He turned toward me.
“He’s always there.” Ryan’s words came faster. “Your car broke down when you were a teenager? Travis fixed it. Your dad died? Travis helped your mom. Something breaks? Travis can fix it. You need help with Emma? Travis is available.”
His face twisted.
“Every time I can’t be there, somehow HE is.”
Ryan glanced at Travis before looking back at me.
“Sometimes I think you’ve been in love with him this whole time.”
The room fell silent.
