“Did my mother write this?”
Claire’s silence answered the question.
PART 2 — The Vacation Photographs
Claire had been protecting him.
That was the first thing Ethan understood.
She had been hurting, hungry, frightened, and exhausted, yet she still worried that telling him the truth could jeopardize his job.
Diane had repeatedly warned her not to interrupt Ethan’s assignment.
According to Claire, the postpartum nurse visited only twice.
On the third morning, Diane informed the nurse that her services were no longer needed. She claimed Claire was recovering perfectly and that family members would be available at all times. Familyfinancial planning
Soon after, the grocery deliveries stopped.
Whenever Claire asked about them, Diane said the orders had been delayed.
Brooke took several boxes of formula home, saying that a friend who had recently had a baby needed assistance.
Jason carried frozen meals from the freezer to his car, explaining that they were being moved to Diane’s larger freezer.
Claire trusted them because she had no reason not to.
That morning, everything finally became clear.
Diane, Brooke, Jason, and Ben arrived carrying suitcases.
They packed food into coolers. They took toiletries from the bathroom, the warm quilt from the guest room, and the new shawl Ethan had purchased for Claire’s birthday.
Brooke remarked that the hotel could be cold at night.
When Claire protested, Diane attached the note to the refrigerator.
“You have noodles,” she said. “You’ll survive for a few days.”
“What about Lily?” Claire asked.
“You’re her mother,” Diane replied. “You need to learn how to manage.”
They left before ten o’clock that morning.
Claire attempted to prepare the noodles, but standing at the stove made her dizzy. The pot slipped from her hands and spilled the water.
She was eating the noodles dry when Ethan came through the door.
His phone vibrated.
Brooke had uploaded photos to social media.
In the first image, she stood beside a resort pool wearing new sunglasses.
In the second, Jason raised a glass at a seafood restaurant.
In another, Diane smiled while wearing Claire’s shawl and carrying a designer handbag Ethan had never seen before.
The caption read:
New Year’s in paradise with the people who truly understand the meaning of family. Familyfinancial planning
Ethan stared at the screen until the words blurred together.
Claire lightly touched his sleeve.
“Please don’t do anything while you’re angry.”
He placed the phone face down.
“You and Lily need food. Everything else can wait.”
The response surprised her.
She had expected yelling, angry phone calls, perhaps an immediate confrontation.
Instead, Ethan washed his hands, checked on the baby, and contacted Claire’s doctor.
The doctor recommended bringing Claire in for an urgent appointment the following morning but said that, based on the symptoms Ethan described, she did not appear to require emergency treatment. She needed rest, hydration, nutritious meals, and support with the baby.
Next, Ethan called the postpartum nurse.
