Husband Faked His Death and Left Me, Now He Regrets It, Sorry, You Can Only Repent at My Grave novel · Chapter 11 of 24

Chapter 11: On the Lawn

Beth held the child against her shoulder and rocked her.

"Shh," she said into the curls. "It's all right. Mama's got you."

Junie hiccupped and clung.

I stood in the doorway of my old room with my hands open and nothing in them.

"Give her to me," I said.

"She's frightened of you," Beth said. She said it kindly, which was the cruelest way she could. "She doesn't know you, Geneva. She knows me. I've fed her every morning for two years."

"She's mine."

"Is she?" Beth looked at Stewart over my shoulder. "Ask her what she calls me."

Footsteps pounded on the stairs.

My father came up two at a time, which I had not seen him do in ten years.

He stopped on the landing and took in the three of us.

His face was dark red.

"Put her down," he said to Beth.

"Dad."

"You put that child down and you get out of this house."

"She's asleep," Beth said, soothing. "You'll wake her."

"I said out."

"I've lived in this house since I was six years old."

"I know how long you've lived in it." His voice shook with something I'd never heard in it, a rage that didn't know where to put itself. "I stood in that church and carried a box. You sat in the pew behind me and let me."

Beth stopped rocking.

"Dad..."

"Don't call me that."

Nobody in the hallway spoke after it.

For a second her eyes widened, and I saw that she had not seen this coming.

It was the only thing all night that had surprised her.

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