Chapter 8
I wanted to hear Mommy's voice immediately.
But Daddy explained that the recordings had been recovered during the investigation.
The police needed to preserve the originals.
They would make copies after checking the contents.
I didn't like waiting.
Not because I was impatient.
Because I was afraid.
What if I had forgotten how Mommy sounded?
What if hearing her again made losing her hurt even more?
Dr. Price helped me talk about those feelings.
She said grief could make us feel happy and sad at the same time.
That was normal.
I told her I had spent three years trying not to think about Mommy because Vanessa always became angry when I mentioned her.
Dr. Price asked me something important.
"What do you think would happen if you remembered her now?"
I stared at the floor.
"Nothing bad?"
She smiled.
"That's right."
I touched my locket.
"Then I want to remember everything."
A few days later, Mr. Carter invited Daddy and me to his office.
Aunt Denise came too.
On the desk sat a small laptop.
Beside it was a carefully labeled digital copy of Mommy's recordings.
My heart began racing.
Daddy sat beside me.
"You can stop whenever you want."
I nodded.
Mr. Carter opened the first file.
There was a soft crackling sound.
Then a woman's voice filled the room.
"My beautiful Maya."
I gasped.
Mommy.
It was really Mommy.
I covered my mouth.
Her voice sounded warm.
Gentle.
A little tired.
Exactly the way I remembered.
"If you're listening to this, I wish more than anything that I could be sitting beside you."
Tears spilled down my cheeks.
"I know there will be birthdays I cannot celebrate with you. I know there will be days when you need a hug, and the world may feel terribly unfair."
Daddy reached for my hand.
Mommy continued.
"But I want you to know something. You are not a burden. You are not a mistake. You are the greatest joy of my life."
I started sobbing.
Daddy pulled me into his arms.
Mommy's voice continued.
"Never let anybody convince you that you deserve less love than another child."
Aunt Denise covered her face.
Even Mr. Carter looked emotional.
I listened to every word.
Mommy talked about my first steps.
My favorite bedtime story.
The way I used to dance in the kitchen when she cooked.
Then she laughed softly.
"And if you still hate broccoli, I hope Daddy has found a clever way to make you eat your vegetables."
I laughed through my tears.
Daddy laughed too.
For one beautiful moment, it felt like Mommy was sitting with us.
At the end of the recording, she said, "No matter how old you become, my love will always belong to you."
Then the file ended.
I held Daddy's hand.
"Can we listen again someday?"
He kissed my forehead.
"Whenever you want."
Mr. Carter explained that the other recordings included personal family memories and instructions regarding the estate.
None of them supported Vanessa's claims that Mommy had hidden shameful secrets.
Instead, they confirmed how carefully she had planned for my future.
Daddy lowered his head.
"She thought of everything."
Aunt Denise gently corrected him.
"She thought of Maya."
I looked at Mommy's photograph.
For years, Vanessa had told me my mother wasn't important anymore.
But Mommy had never stopped trying to protect me.
Even after she was gone.
The next week brought more news.
Detective Morris informed Daddy that investigators had assembled evidence linking Vanessa and Raymond to forged authorization documents and the attempted fraudulent sale.
The buyer's deposit had been traced through several accounts.
A substantial portion had been recovered or frozen.
The court had also approved measures protecting the trust property while the investigation continued.
Daddy looked relieved.
"Does that mean Maya's inheritance is safe?"
Mr. Carter answered carefully.
"The trust remains intact. Its assets are protected, and the attempted withdrawal was blocked."
I didn't fully understand the legal details.
But I understood that Vanessa hadn't taken Mommy's gift away.
That night, I asked Daddy whether Vanessa would go to jail.
He was quiet for a moment.
"That's for the court to decide after the evidence is heard."
"Will I have to see her?"
"We're going to ask the court to protect you from unnecessary contact."
I sat beside him.
"Did you ever love her?"
He looked surprised.
Then he nodded.
"I thought I did."
I stared at him.
"Why?"
He sighed.
"Because when your mother died, I was lonely. Vanessa seemed kind. She helped me when I was struggling."
I looked down.
"But she wasn't kind to me."
"I know."
He took my hands.
"And I should have seen that sooner."
I thought about something.
"Will you get married again?"
Daddy shook his head.
"Right now, I want to focus on being your father."
I leaned against him.
"Good."
He smiled sadly.
"Good?"
I nodded.
"Because I like it when it's just us."
He wrapped his arm around me.
"So do I."
A few weeks later, the family court addressed our living arrangements and Vanessa's access to the house.
Daddy's attorneys had provided the relevant property documents.
The trust retained its ownership interest, and the court made temporary arrangements allowing Daddy and me to return safely while the remaining legal issues were resolved.
Vanessa was prohibited from contacting me under the protective conditions in place.
We returned on a sunny Saturday.
Aunt Denise brought fresh flowers.
Daddy carried my boxes upstairs.
The first thing he did was remove the cardboard box labeled MAYA'S JUNK.
Then he helped me arrange my books on the shelves.
My stuffed rabbit had been repaired.
Its ear was slightly crooked.
I thought that made it even more special.
Daddy hung Mommy's photograph above my desk.
And he placed the framed family picture back in the living room.
I stood in the doorway looking around.
The house felt different.
Not because the walls had changed.
But because I no longer had to be afraid of the person waiting inside.
That evening, Daddy made spaghetti.
He burned the garlic bread.
I laughed so hard that my stomach hurt.
He pretended to be offended.
"That's not burned. That's extra crispy."
I pointed at the black edges.
"Daddy, it's almost charcoal!"
He laughed.
We ate dinner at the kitchen table.
Nobody yelled at me.
Nobody told me to hurry.
Nobody made me wait until somebody else had finished.
For the first time in years, I felt like a child again.
But just before bedtime, Daddy received another call.
Mr. Carter had learned that Vanessa's attorney wanted to discuss a possible negotiated resolution of the criminal case.
Daddy listened carefully.
Then asked, "Is she admitting what she did?"
Mr. Carter replied, "Not yet. But the evidence is putting considerable pressure on her."
Daddy looked toward me.
I was sitting on the rug with my repaired rabbit.
He lowered his voice.
"I don't want Maya dragged through months of unnecessary pain."
"We'll make her well-being a priority," Mr. Carter said.
When Daddy hung up, I asked what happened.
He sat beside me.
"Vanessa may finally have to answer for what she did."
I hugged my rabbit.
"Will that make everything better?"
Daddy looked at me.
"Some things will take time."
He brushed a braid away from my face.
"But we'll have that time together."
I thought about Mommy's voice.
Her letters.
Her locket.
Then I whispered, "I think we're going to be okay."
May you like
Daddy smiled.
"I think so too."
