Chapter 3Bank Statements and Broken Vows

That night, after Lily was asleep, Mark was on the couch scrolling through his phone. I walked over and stood by the coffee table.

"We’re short on Lily’s preschool tuition," I said. "Can you chip in the rest?"

Mark glanced up. "My paycheck hasn't cleared yet. Where am I supposed to get the money?"

I stood there. "Then I'll ask your mom for a loan."

Mark’s face shifted instantly. "Why would you do that? You know how she is. She hates when people come sniffing around her accounts."

"Then what do you want me to do, Mark?"

He didn't answer. He just looked back down at his phone. I waited for maybe thirty seconds, then turned and walked back into the bedroom.

I sat on the edge of the bed looking at Lily’s sleeping face. I sat there for a long time.

Then I picked up my phone and texted Eleanor: Mom, your birthday is coming up. Lily and I would love to take you out for dinner.

Her reply came almost immediately: That sounds lovely. I’ve been missing Lily. You and Mark come pick me up, we’ll make it a family dinner.

I gripped the phone, hesitating before I walked back out to tell Mark.

Predictably, his brow furrowed. "Why are we doing a birthday dinner for her? You know how she is. She’ll just complain the whole time."

"She said she hasn't seen Lily in a while and wants to see her," I said.

Mark went quiet. His tone changed. It sounded forced, like he was pushing something down. "Why the sudden interest in Lily? She never cared about our business before. You should keep your distance. You’re just going to make her think you want her money again."

I stood in the doorway, keeping my voice low. "I just want to show her her granddaughter. I’m not asking for a handout."

The truth was, I wanted to ask her face-to-face. After four years, I needed to know why she had promised me that money and then yanked it away. I wanted to look her in the eye and ask what exactly I had done so wrong to make her believe I didn't deserve it.

That question had been rotting in my chest for four years. Tonight, I simply couldn't swallow it anymore.