He Missed Our Daughter's Birthday Again novel · Chapter 18 of 24
Chapter 18: Celia Decides
Celia held the envelope in both hands and waited for someone to tell her not to.
Nobody did.
The corridor outside Sammy's room was not empty.
A nurse had stopped with a tray of syringes.
Two parents sat on the bench under the paper stars.
The oncologist stood in her doorway with a chart against her chest.
Roderick had been unhooked by then, with cotton taped at both elbows.
He sat in his chair with Junie's drawing sticking out of his pocket and said nothing at all.
"Clifton's lawyers want me to sign that I never said anything," Celia said. "About him, about Sammy, about the money. In exchange the account goes on paying for six more years."
"Celia," I said.
"No. Let me do it where people can hear it, or I won't do it."
She turned to the parents on the bench.
"I'm sorry. This isn't your business. But I need to say it out loud once."
One of the mothers nodded, very slightly.
"Three weeks ago I told a man his sick child might be his," Celia said. "I knew it was a lie. I called him in the middle of his daughter's birthday party, because the real father told me to."
She looked at Roderick.
"I made you walk out on a five-year-old and a pregnant wife. I'd do almost anything for my son. But I'm not going to say I didn't do it."
"You were scared," Roderick said.
"I was scared and I was useful, and those are the worst two things to be at the same time."
She turned to me.
Her hands were shaking so hard that the envelope rattled.
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