Chapter 4
The other adult was Maya’s school counselor, Mr. Keene.
Maya had written that she went to his office two weeks earlier. She told him she was afraid to go home. According to her note, he asked whether Robert had hit her. When she couldn’t answer, he suggested she was stressed about exams and sent her back to class.
I felt anger rise so fast I had to sit down.
“Did he call me?” I asked Detective Brooks.
“There’s no record of a call yet. We’re checking.”
I pictured Maya walking into that office by herself. She had tried to tell someone. She had come home to Robert that evening, and I had asked whether she’d finished her homework.
Detective Brooks wanted to speak with Mr. Keene and review any school notes. She asked me to let her handle that conversation.
When I returned to Maya’s room, she was eating a few spoonfuls of soup. I sat beside her until she put it down.
“Detective Brooks saw what you wrote about Mr. Keene,” I said.
Maya looked worried. “I didn’t tell him much.”
“You went to him because you needed help.”
“I thought I’d said it wrong.”
“No, baby.”
“He asked if Robert hit me. I said I didn’t want to talk about it while the door was open. He said I could come back after exams.” Her voice dropped. “I didn’t go back.”
I moved my chair close. “I’m sorry he didn’t make room for you to talk.”
“You were busy at work. I didn’t want to make another person angry.”
I wanted to tell her I would never have been angry. I remembered how often I’d hurried through dinner, telling her I had an early meeting the next day. I chose my words carefully.
“You can interrupt me. You can wake me up. You can tell me something is wrong without explaining it perfectly.”
She looked at me for a long time.
“Okay,” she whispered.
Robert called from a new number that evening. I let it go to voicemail. He left a message saying Maya needed her mother and father together, and that I was letting strangers turn us against each other.
I gave the message to Detective Brooks.
Tasha watched me put down the phone. “You don’t have to listen to him alone.”
“He still sounds like the man I married.”
“I know.”
That was what frightened me. For years, Robert had sounded reasonable when he explained away things I had seen with my own eyes. I was learning to trust Maya’s fear more than his calm voice.
The next morning, Dr. Lawson said Maya could likely leave the hospital that evening. Elena helped us plan the move to Tasha’s. The child protection worker met with us, and Detective Brooks explained how to document any attempts Robert made to reach us. We discussed a protection order and how to seek one.
Maya listened, then asked, “Will I have to see him in court?”
“Not today,” the detective said. “There may be proceedings later. We’ll tell you what to expect, and you’ll have support.”
Maya stared at her hands. “He said I would get Mom in trouble if I told.”
I leaned forward. “You didn’t get me in trouble.”
“He said you’d hate me for breaking up the family.”
I could barely speak. “You are my family. I’m going wherever you’re safe.”
Her eyes filled. She reached for me, and I held her as gently as I could because her stomach still hurt.
That afternoon, Detective Brooks returned with new information. School records showed Mr. Keene had written that Maya reported “stress at home.” There was no note about asking if she felt safe. He had not contacted me or another member of the school support team.
“I’ll be speaking with him,” she said. “The district will also review what happened.”
I wanted answers. I also saw how tired Maya was, so I asked the detective to update me outside the room.
In the hallway, Detective Brooks said Robert had agreed to an interview, then left before officers arrived. He had stopped answering calls.
“Should we wait to leave?” I asked.
“No. We’ll help coordinate your discharge. Tasha’s address shouldn’t be shared with him.”
When Maya changed into her own clothes, she paused with the hoodie in her hands.
“Is Tasha’s house okay?” she asked.
“She says we can stay as long as we need.”
“Robert doesn’t have a key?”
“No.”
Tasha brought the car to a side entrance. Elena walked us down. Maya held my arm until we reached the back seat.
She climbed in, saw the blanket Tasha had laid out, and let out a breath.
May you like
We were halfway to Nampa when a message appeared on my phone from Robert.
Tell Maya I know where Tasha lives.
