Chapter 2: What Happened When Daddy Was Gone
The birthday party ended forty minutes later.
Nobody wanted another slice of cake.
Nobody wanted music.
And nobody seemed particularly interested in the presents.
My sister Vanessa hugged Imani before leaving.
“Call me tomorrow, sweetheart. I have something special for you.””
Imani nodded.
“Okay, Auntie.””
Vanessa kissed her forehead.
Then she turned to me.
“Marcus, we need to talk.””
“I know.””
“Not tomorrow. Tonight.””
I nodded.
My parents were the last to leave.
My mother held my arm near the front door.
“Don't dismiss what those children told you.””
“I won't.””
“I'm serious. Children don't usually invent complicated stories about being hungry.””
“I understand, Mom.””
She studied my face.
“Do you?””
I didn't answer.
Because the truth was, I wasn't sure I did.
For three years, I'd trusted Tasha with my children.
I'd trusted her to feed them, help with homework, make sure they brushed their teeth, and comfort them when they missed their mother.
I'd trusted her with the most important part of my life.
And now I was beginning to wonder what that trust had cost them.
When the front door closed, Tasha immediately turned toward me.
“Are you happy now?””
I looked at her.
“What?””
“You embarrassed me in front of your entire family.””
“Tasha, our son just told us you've been taking food away from his sister.””
“Oh, please. You're making it sound like I'm starving them.””
“Then explain what happened.””
She threw her hands into the air.
“I was trying to teach them discipline!””
“By taking their lunches?””
“I never said I took their lunches.””
“Caleb said you did.””
“Caleb is eight! He doesn't know what he's talking about.””
I glanced toward the stairs.
Imani and Caleb had gone upstairs together.
I lowered my voice.
“Why was Imani's plate empty before dinner?””
Tasha rolled her eyes.
“Because she ate earlier.””
“What did she eat?””
“Why are you interrogating me?””
“Because I want an answer.””
She crossed her arms.
“I gave her an apple.””
“An apple?””
“And some crackers.””
“That was her birthday dinner?””
“Marcus, don't be ridiculous. She had cake.””
I stared at her.
“That's not dinner.””
“See? This is exactly the problem. You come home, play the hero, and suddenly I'm the villain.””
“I didn't make Caleb say those things.””
“You're letting them turn you against me.””
I rubbed my forehead.
“I need to speak to the children.””
“No.””
I looked up.
“What?””
“You're not going upstairs to question them.””
“I'm their father.””
“And I'm your wife!””
Her voice echoed through the living room.
For several seconds, neither of us moved.
Then she picked up her phone.
“Fine. Go ahead. Make me the monster. But don't expect me to keep doing everything around here.””
She walked toward the bedroom and slammed the door.
I stood alone in the living room.
The birthday candles had melted into small puddles of wax.
A piece of chocolate cake remained on the coffee table.
Beside it was Imani's new butterfly necklace.
She had taken it off before going upstairs.
I picked it up and turned it between my fingers.
Something about the evening felt terribly wrong.
At 9:30 p.m., I knocked on the children's bedroom door.
“Can I come in?””
Caleb opened it.
He was wearing his blue pajamas and holding a stuffed dinosaur.
Imani sat on her bed, carefully brushing her hair.
“Hey, princess.””
She smiled faintly.
“Hi, Daddy.””
I sat between them.
“Can we talk?””
Caleb climbed onto the bed immediately.
Imani placed her hairbrush down.
I looked at both children.
“I'm not angry with either of you. I just want to understand what happened downstairs.””
Caleb nodded.
Imani picked at a loose thread on her blanket.
I began with the simplest question.
“Has Tasha ever told you that you couldn't eat something because you were eating too much?””
Imani nodded.
“How often?””
“Sometimes.””
“Every day?””
She hesitated.
“Not every day.””
Caleb interrupted.
“Almost every day when you're working late.””
I looked at him.
“Tell me what happens.””
He squeezed his dinosaur.
“After school, Tasha gives us snacks. But she gives me more than Imani.””
“Why?””
“She says boys need more food because I'm growing.””
Imani quietly added, “She says girls have to be careful.””
I felt a chill run down my back.
“Careful about what?””
“Getting big.””
The room became very quiet.
I looked at my daughter.
“Who told you that?””
“Tasha.””
“When?””
“Sometimes when I'm eating.””
My jaw tightened.
Imani continued.
“She says girls who eat too much won't look pretty in dresses.””
I closed my eyes for a moment.
My daughter was ten years old.
She should have been worrying about spelling tests, playground games, and which cartoon to watch.
Not whether she deserved dinner.
“What else does she say?””
Imani shrugged.
“Nothing.””
Caleb shook his head.
“That's not true.””
I turned toward him.
“What else?””
He took a breath.
“She makes Imani give me her food sometimes.””
Imani looked at him.
“Caleb, don't.””
He looked back at her.
“But it's true.””
I put a hand on his shoulder.
“It's okay. You can tell me.””
Caleb's voice became smaller.
“Sometimes Tasha gives me two sandwiches and tells Imani she already ate. But she hasn't.””
I looked at my daughter.
“Is that true?””
Imani nodded.
I struggled to keep my voice steady.
“What do you do when you're hungry?””
“I drink water.””
The words landed harder than anything else she'd said.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
She looked down.
“Because Tasha said you were tired.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“She said you work very hard. She said you get upset when people make problems for you.””
I stared at my daughter.
“She told you that?””
Imani nodded.
“She said you already lost one family, and I shouldn't make you lose another one.””
For a moment, I couldn't breathe.
My first wife was gone.
My children had already experienced a loss no child should ever have to understand.
And someone had used that loss to frighten them into silence.
I pulled Imani into my arms.
“Oh, sweetheart.””
She started crying.
“I didn't want you to be sad.””
I held her tighter.
“You never have to protect me from the truth.””
Caleb moved closer.
“Daddy?””
“Yes, buddy?””
“Are you going to be mad at Tasha?””
I looked at him.
“I need to make sure you and your sister are safe.””
He nodded.
Then he said something that made my heart sink.
“Can we have breakfast tomorrow before she wakes up?””
I swallowed.
“Of course.””
“Can we have eggs and pancakes?””
“Anything you want.””
He looked relieved.
Imani wiped her cheeks.
“Can I have two pancakes?””
I kissed her forehead.
“You can have three.””
She gave a tiny smile.
And I realized just how little it took to make my daughter feel happy.
After the children fell asleep, I went downstairs.
Tasha was sitting on the sofa scrolling through her phone.
She didn't look up.
“Are you finished?””
“No.””
She sighed.
“Marcus, I'm exhausted.””
I sat across from her.
“I spoke to the children.””
Her fingers stopped moving.
“And?””
“They told me you've been restricting Imani's food.””
Tasha put her phone down.
“I knew it.””
“They said you tell her girls shouldn't eat too much if they want to look pretty.””
She rolled her eyes.
“That's not what I said.””
“What did you say?””
“I told her she needs to develop healthy habits.””
“She's ten.””
“Exactly. It's better to teach her now than wait until she's fourteen and overweight.””
I stared at my wife.
“She's a child, Tasha. She needs food.””
“She eats constantly.””
“That's not true.””
“You're not here to see it!””
“Then explain why Caleb says she asks for water instead of dinner.””
Tasha stood up.
“Because he's dramatic!””
I stood too.
“Stop calling our children liars.””
She pointed at me.
“You're allowing them to disrespect me.””
“I'm asking you to explain your behavior.””
“I don't owe you an explanation every time I discipline them.””
I looked at her for a long moment.
Then I asked a question I hadn't planned to ask.
“Have you ever taken Imani's lunch money?””
Tasha froze.
It lasted barely a second.
But I saw it.
“Where did you get that idea?””
“Caleb mentioned her lunches.””
She laughed awkwardly.
“Oh, my God. This is ridiculous.””
“Did you?””
“No.””
“Then why did you hesitate?””
“I didn't hesitate!””
She grabbed her phone and walked toward the stairs.
“I refuse to stand here while you accuse me of things because two children had a disagreement with me.””
“Tasha.””
She stopped.
“What?””
“Tomorrow, I'm taking the children to school myself.””
“Why?””
“Because I want to.””
She stared at me.
Then she smiled.
It was a small, cold smile.
“Fine. But don't be surprised when you discover they're not as innocent as you think.””
She walked upstairs.
I remained in the living room.
Ten minutes later, I went to the kitchen for a glass of water.
As I opened the refrigerator, I noticed a small pink lunchbox on the bottom shelf.
It belonged to Imani.
I opened it.
Inside were two untouched sandwiches, a bruised apple, and a folded piece of paper.
The sandwiches were from that morning.
The apple had begun to turn brown.
I unfolded the paper.
It was a note written in my daughter's handwriting.
Dear Daddy,
Please don't be mad at Tasha.
I know she doesn't like me eating a lot.
I can try harder.
I just want you to be happy.
I read it twice.
Then a third time.
My hands began to shake.
I was still holding the note when my phone vibrated.
A message from my sister Vanessa appeared.
Marcus, I found something in the birthday pictures. Call me before you confront Tasha again.
I immediately called her.
She answered on the first ring.
“Marcus, listen carefully.””
“What happened?””
“I was looking through the photographs from tonight.””
“And?””
“There are pictures of Imani sitting at the table before the cake was served.””
“So?””
Vanessa took a breath.
“In one of them, Tasha is standing behind her. Look closely at the kitchen counter.””
I opened the photograph she sent.
At first, I didn't understand what I was seeing.
Then I zoomed in.
There were three plates on the counter.
Two were empty.
The third contained a full meal.
And beside it was a small piece of paper.
Vanessa spoke again.
“Marcus, I think your wife has been keeping something from you.””
“What?””
“I enlarged the picture. There's a handwritten note beside Imani's plate.””
I stared at the screen.
The note contained four words.
*NO FOOD AFTER SIX.*
But that wasn't the worst part.
May you like
Underneath it was another line.
*UNLESS DAD IS HOME.*
