Chapter 2: The Secret Behind Her Silence
I didn't start the engine immediately.
Vanessa's message glowed on my phone, its words somehow more threatening than the shouting we'd left behind.
Ask her why Elena's sister stopped visiting.
I read it again.
Then I looked at Maya.
“Sweetheart, do you know what your stepmother is talking about?””
Maya's fingers tightened around the strap of her backpack.
“No.””
The answer came too quickly.
I didn't push her. Not yet.
I started the car and pulled away from the curb.
In the rearview mirror, Devin watched our house disappear behind us. He had his hood up, his headphones on, and his face turned toward the window.
None of us spoke until we reached the highway.
Then Maya asked the question I'd been dreading.
“Are we still going on vacation?””
I glanced at her.
“Of course.””
“But the reservations—”
“I'll figure them out.””
“What if it's expensive?””
I almost laughed, but there was nothing funny about it.
“Maya, I can afford a vacation. That's not the issue.””
She stared at her hands.
“I know. I just don't want you to lose everything because of me.””
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel.
“You didn't cause this.””
She nodded, but I could tell she didn't believe me.
At a red light, I reached over and squeezed her shoulder.
“Listen to me. Your stepmother made a choice. I made a choice in response. You don't have to carry either one.””
Maya gave me a small, uncertain smile.
Behind us, Devin cleared his throat.
“Dad?””
“Yeah?””
“Can I talk to you?””
“Go ahead.””
He glanced at Maya, then looked away.
“Privately.””
Maya immediately reached for her earbuds.
“You don't have to,” she said.
“I don't mind.””
But Devin shook his head.
“No. It's about you.””
The light turned green. I drove another mile before pulling into a quiet gas station.
I parked beneath a faded blue awning and turned toward the back seat.
“Okay. Talk.””
Devin rubbed his palms against his jeans.
“Mom said Maya was staying behind because she needed to learn that the world doesn't revolve around her.””
I felt my jaw tighten.
“Anything else?””
“She said the vacation was supposed to be a fresh start for us. Just the three of us.””
“The three of us?””
He swallowed.
“She said you spend too much time worrying about Maya. That you always feel guilty because her mom died, and that guilt makes you give Maya whatever she wants.””
I stared at him.
“Does Maya get everything she wants?””
“No.””
“Does she ask for everything she wants?””
He hesitated.
“Not really.””
“Then why did you believe that?””
Devin's face reddened.
“Because Mom said it so many times that I thought it was true.””
The admission hung between us.
I looked at Maya. She was staring through the passenger window, pretending not to hear.
“Did your mother tell you not to invite your sister?”” I asked.
Devin nodded.
“She said Maya would probably refuse anyway. She told me not to bring it up because it would upset her.””
“And you agreed?””
“I didn't know what to do.””
“You could have told me.””
“I know.””
His voice broke on the last word.
For a moment, I saw the child beneath the seventeen-year-old's defensive posture. Devin hadn't created this situation, but he had helped it happen. I couldn't excuse him simply because he was young.
“Son, being caught between two adults is difficult. But when someone you love is being hurt, silence still has consequences.””
He wiped his face with his sleeve.
“I know, Dad.””
“Then start showing it.””
He nodded.
I got out and walked around the vehicle, needing a moment of air. The October breeze carried the smell of gasoline and wet pavement. I stood beside the pump and called the airline.
After twenty minutes, I managed to change Maya's ticket by paying a substantial fare difference. The resort required another call, followed by a transfer to a manager who informed me that our original room couldn't accommodate another guest.
I paid for an additional room.
When I returned to the SUV, Maya was sitting with her knees drawn toward her chest.
“Everything okay?”” she asked.
“Everything's handled.””
“How much did it cost?””
“Enough.””
She frowned.
“Dad.””
I smiled faintly.
“I'm kidding. It's manageable.””
She looked relieved, then guilty for looking relieved.
I hated that I could recognize those expressions so easily.
We stopped at a roadside diner for lunch. Inside, the air smelled of bacon grease and fresh coffee, and an old ceiling fan rattled above our booth.
A waitress with silver hair brought us menus.
“Traveling somewhere fun?”” she asked.
“Family vacation,” I answered.
Maya lowered her eyes.
The waitress smiled at her.
“Where are you headed, honey?””
“California,” Maya said.
“Lucky girl. Who's going?””
Maya glanced at me.
“All of us.””
It was the first time she'd said those words without sounding as if she needed permission.
After the waitress left, Devin put his phone face down on the table.
“Maya?””
She looked at him cautiously.
“I'm sorry.””
She blinked.
“For what?””
“For knowing about the trip and not telling you. I should've said something.””
Maya picked at the paper wrapper around her straw.
“It's okay.””
“No, it isn't.””
He looked at her directly.
“Mom told me you'd ruin the trip if you came. She said you always made Dad feel guilty, and I let myself believe her because I wanted the vacation.””
Maya's eyes glistened.
“You wanted me to stay home?””
Devin opened his mouth, then closed it.
“I didn't want to think about what that meant.””
She turned toward the window.
For a while, the only sound was the clinking of silverware from nearby tables.
Finally, Maya whispered, “I used to think you were the only person in this house who liked having me around.””
Devin looked as if she'd slapped him.
“I do like having you around.””
“Then why didn't you say anything?””
He had no answer.
Neither did I.
The food arrived, but I barely tasted mine. I kept thinking about Vanessa's message.
Elena's sister.
Rachel.
Maya had been close to Rachel before Vanessa came into our lives. Rachel was Elena's younger sister, a school counselor who lived two hours away. She had been Maya's favorite person after Elena died.
Every Sunday, she'd call to ask Maya about school, books, and the small things I sometimes missed while working late.
Then the calls became less frequent.
Eventually, they stopped.
I'd assumed Rachel was busy. She'd gone through a difficult divorce around that time, and I thought she needed space.
I had never asked why.
I looked at Maya across the booth.
“When was the last time you spoke to Aunt Rachel?””
Her fork stopped halfway to her mouth.
“Last year.””
“Last year? Why didn't you tell me?””
She set down the fork.
“Because she said you didn't want me talking to her.””
The restaurant seemed to go silent.
“What?””
Maya's breathing became shallow.
“She called me after my birthday. Vanessa answered the phone first. They argued, and then Vanessa gave me the phone.””
“What did Rachel say?””
“She asked why I hadn't been answering her messages. I told her I didn't know what she meant.””
Maya swallowed.
“Then she asked if I still had the letters she'd sent me.””
I felt a cold sensation spread across my back.
“What letters?””
Maya looked at me with frightened eyes.
“I never got any letters.””
I sat perfectly still.
Rachel had sent letters.
Vanessa had intercepted them.
Or at least, that was what Maya seemed to believe.
“Did you tell Rachel that?””
“I tried. But Vanessa took the phone away before I could finish. Later, she said Aunt Rachel was having problems and didn't want to be involved with us anymore.””
Maya's voice became smaller.
“She said Rachel didn't want me around because I reminded her of Mom.””
My hand tightened around my coffee cup.
“Did you believe her?””
Maya stared at the table.
“I didn't know what else to believe.””
I felt a wave of shame so strong I had to look away.
For years, I'd watched Maya become quieter. I'd assumed it was normal teenage behavior. I'd noticed that she no longer asked to visit Rachel, but I'd never questioned why.
I'd trusted Vanessa to handle the family details.
I'd trusted her because I loved her.
And my daughter had paid the price.
I took out my phone and searched for Rachel's number.
It was still there.
My thumb hovered over the call button.
Before I could press it, a message appeared from an unknown number.
Andre, it's Rachel. I heard what happened this morning. Please call me before you go any farther with Vanessa.
A second message followed.
There's something you need to know about Elena's last year, and I have the proof.
I stared at the screen.
Maya leaned forward.
“Is that Aunt Rachel?””
I nodded.
Her eyes filled with hope so sudden and painful that I could barely stand to look at her.
“Can I talk to her?””
“Of course.””
I called.
Rachel answered on the first ring.
“Andre?”” Her voice trembled.
“Thank God. I've been trying to reach you for years.””
“Rachel, what's going on?””
A long silence followed.
Then she asked a question that made the blood drain from my face.
“Before I tell you anything, I need to know one thing. Did Vanessa ever show you the letter Elena left for Maya?””
I gripped the phone.
“What letter?””
Rachel exhaled shakily.
“Then she really did it.””
“Did what?””
“She kept Elena's final letter from Maya. And Andre, that letter wasn't just a goodbye.””
I looked at my daughter.
She was watching me, frightened and hopeful at the same time.
Rachel lowered her voice.
“Your wife has been lying to you about why Elena's family disappeared. But the worst part is what she told Maya about her own mother.””
I swallowed.
“What did she tell her?””
Rachel's answer came quietly.
“She told Maya that Elena didn't want her to have a father like you.””
I stared through the windshield at the traffic rushing past.
For seven years, I'd believed my wife was helping me raise my daughter.
May you like
Now I wondered whether she'd been trying to erase the only person who could tell Maya the truth about her mother.
And I was beginning to understand that leaving Maya off a vacation might have been the smallest thing Vanessa had done.
