Amy glanced over at Lily and then back at her children.
How was she meant to explain this to them in a way they’d understand?
Amy stood and knelt down, her knees touching the ground. “I didn’t go to either of you because I didn’t want to make things worse. Your father is not the kind of man who forgives easily, and I didn’t want to jeopardize your relationship with him.”
No matter how much he didn’t deserve it.
Amy wasn’t doing it for him.
Lucas and Sylvie exchanged another look. Abruptly, Sylvie stood up and began to pace, pausing several times to glance over at them. Lucas, on the other hand, was staring at the hands folded in his lap, a grim expression on his face. Lily helped Amy back onto her seat, and she sank into the chair, feeling exhausted.
How much longer was she expected to fight Eric?
And why did he have to attack her on all fronts?
Wasn’t there a single shred of decency left in him?
When Sylvie sat back down, she tucked her hands underneath her and lifted her chin. “I don’t think you thought any of this through, Mom.”
Amy exhaled, and her stomach dipped. “You’re right. I should’ve given it more thought, but I would’ve still arrived at the same conclusion. I had to leave.”
She was beginning to realize that no amount of explaining was going to make her children see her point of view. As far as they were concerned, Amy was confused and delusional and had allowed that to cloud her judgment and force her into making an irrational decision. Neither of them was ready to understand how difficult it was or how much Amy wished things were different.
She still hoped the four of them were going to make it through this mess as a family.
A part of her clung to the belief that Eric was going to call off his lawyer before things got even worse.
But she wasn’t going to leave any of it to chance, not anymore.
It was time for her to take charge of her own destiny, regardless of the outcome.
And if it meant having to justify and rationalize her decisions for a bit longer, so be it.
Lucas rose to his feet and glanced at an unmarked spot on the horizon. “So, that’s it, then. You’re just telling us that we’re wasting our time here, and we should just go back to Dad and tell him you wouldn’t listen to reason?”
Amy stood, and the knots in her stomach twisted further. “Hold on, now. That’s not fair. Your father isn’t being reasonable. He’s being defensive, and I understand that none of us want to be in this situation, but it doesn’t mean we can’t make the most of it.”
Sylvie wrung her hands together and stood. “So, you’re just going to live here, and we’ll be forced to move back and forth between the two of you? And what about the kids? They’re going to be subjected to this too.”
Lily stepped in front of them and held her hands out. “Okay, I think emotions are running a little too high right now. Why don’t we all take a beat and discuss this later? Before someone says something they’re going to regret.”
Because it did sound an awful lot like her children were looking to blame her.
As ifshe’dbeen the one to dismantle their family, like Eric hadn’t been doing it brick by brick for years.
Why was she so reluctant to out him for the vile man he was?
Why couldn’t she just tell Lucas and Sylvie the truth?
Before she could say anything else, Lily draped an arm around each of their shoulders and led her siblings inside. She paused in front of the sliding glass door and spared Amy an apologetic look over her shoulder. Then, the three of them disappeared inside, and Amy sank back into her chair. She buried her face in her hands and tried to ignore the low thrumming in the back of her skull.
Amy had two fingers pressed to her temples and was rubbing in slow, circular motions when Ashley came out with a tray of food and drinks and a bright smile plastered on her face. Hersmile fell when she realized Amy was sitting there alone. In silence, she climbed down the steps and walked across the lawn to get to Amy. As soon as she set the tray down on the table, she sat down in the closest chair and fixed her gaze on Amy.
“That looks like it didn’t go well.”
Amy’s mouth was clogged up with emotion. She wanted to lock herself in her room, curl up into a ball, and cry. Another part of her wanted to run after her kids, get down on her knees, and beg them to forgive her.
A smaller part imagined bringing them back just to tell them the truth. She already knew it would feel like a weight would be lifted off her shoulders, but she didn’t want to break the news about their father for the wrong reasons.
