Chapter 10
On the morning of Eli’s presentation, I woke before my alarm.
I checked my calendar anyway. I checked the school’s email. Then I made coffee and drove over with enough time to find a seat in the second row.
Nia arrived five minutes later with Ava. She had braided Ava’s hair around a ribbon the color of the school’s banner.
“You’re early,” she said.
“So are you.”
Eli came into the hall with his class. He spotted us and lifted one hand. Ava waved with both arms.
The children took turns reading the stories they had written. When Eli’s name was called, he stepped to the front with his paper shaking slightly in his hands.
He read about two houses on opposite sides of a river.
I knew the first half. I had seen the broken bridge and the people waiting on each bank. Today, I heard the rest for the first time.
In his story, the people built slowly. They made mistakes. Sometimes they had to pull up a board and put it down again. They kept working because someone small needed to cross safely.
Eli looked up from his page.
“The bridge didn’t make the houses into one house,” he read. “It made it easy to get from one to the other.”
He finished. The room applauded.
I couldn’t speak. Nia reached across Ava and squeezed my arm.
Afterward, Eli ran over. “Did you hear the whole thing?”
“Every word,” I said.
“Did you like the ending?”
“I loved it.”
Nia hugged him. Ava demanded to know whether she could have a bridge in her next story too.
The teacher took a picture of all four of us. Ava stood in front, grinning. Eli stood between Nia and me with his paper held against his chest.
That afternoon, Nia gave her final statement about the forged agreement. Priya called afterward to tell her the civil dispute was closed. Nia had received the full payment she was owed, and the false agreement had been withdrawn. The bank had passed its findings to the investigators handling the former assistant’s case.
When Nia told me, her voice was steady.
“It’s finished for me,” she said. “I can put the folder away.”
“I’m glad.”
“I’m going to take the kids for ice cream after school. Can you join us?”
“I’ll be there.”
We went to the little shop near the park. Eli chose mint chocolate chip. Ava chose a flavor with bright blue pieces, then decided she liked Nia’s better. I shared mine with her until she changed her mind again.
Afterward, we walked across the street to Nia’s apartment. Denise and Mom were waiting with dinner. They had arranged to come without telling us.
Denise opened the door. “We heard there was good news.”
Nia looked at the table, set for everyone, and started to cry.
Denise went to her first. “You made a good home here,” she told her.
“I had help.”
“You asked for help,” Denise said. “I know how hard that was.”
Mom drew out a chair for Eli. “Tell me about your story.”
He gave her every detail, including the parts he had changed at the last minute. Ava interrupted to explain that her own story would have a whale under the bridge. No one knew why the whale was there, but she promised it would make sense when she wrote it.
After dinner, we went to the park while the sky was still light. Mom and Denise walked ahead with the children. Nia and I followed at an easy pace.
“I’m sorry for what happened on the porch,” she said.
I turned toward her.
“I know I’ve said it before. I wanted to say it again now that I can think about that morning without panicking.”
“I heard you the first time.”
“I need you to know I won’t tell them something like that again.”
“I know.”
She glanced at the children. “And I know you won’t leave the hard parts of parenting to me.”
“No. If I slip into old habits, tell me.”
“I will.”
We reached the swings. Eli pushed Ava gently while she shouted that she wanted to go higher. Denise sat on a bench beside Mom. For a moment, I stood still and watched all of them.
Ava hopped off the swing and ran to me.
“Can we go to your place after school tomorrow?” she asked.
“It’s Friday,” I said. “I’m picking you up.”
“I know. I just wanted to ask.”
“You can always ask.”
She slipped her hand into mine. “And I know you’re coming.”
Eli joined us and took my other hand. Nia stood beside him. Across the park, our mothers were calling us over for a photograph.
We walked toward them together.
Ava no longer watched the road for my car with fear in her eyes. Eli no longer had to guess whether both his parents would come. He knew he could ask us, and we would answer.
May you like
Mom raised her phone. Ava pulled us closer until everyone fit.
I looked down at the children, safe between the people who loved them, and smiled for the picture.
