Chapter 8: Bring Her Home

The next time I saw Regina, Mom and Dad was a month later, on a Saturday, through my own front window.

By then I had signed the lease on the gray house and moved Maisie into the first grade at the school at the end of our street.

I had not expected them to come looking for me.

The doorbell rang at nine.

I looked through the glass and saw the three of them standing on my porch in their good coats.

Regina's eyes were swollen.

Mom held a handkerchief.

Dad stood a step behind them with his hands in his pockets, looking at the harbor and not at me.

Across the street, a man raking leaves had stopped raking.

I opened the door but kept the chain on.

"How did you find me?"

"The court papers have your address on them," Regina said. Her voice was hoarse.

"We know now that Jasper was pretending," Mom said quickly. "You and Maisie have been put through so much."

"Cedric, I'm sorry," Regina said. "I didn't know he was faking. Please. Let's go home."

I did not take the chain off.

"You came a long way to say that on a porch."

"Can we come in?"

"No."

Mom's face crumpled.

"We drove for two days!"

"Then say what you came to say from there."

Regina took a step forward and held out her phone.

"Listen to it."

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