“You’re sure?”
“I wouldn’t be sitting here if I weren’t. And it’s one of the reasons I quit working for him.”
***
I sat in my car for a long time after that.
Not crying or angry, just clear for the first time in a long time.
I’d thought I was reacting to something that happened suddenly.
But it had been building.
And I’d missed it.
“He actually said that?”
That afternoon, I picked up the kids myself.
I spoke to Jonathan’s teacher and asked questions I should’ve asked long ago.
I checked Lila’s schedule and confirmed things directly.
It felt strange at first, as if I were stepping into a role I should’ve never stepped out of.
But with each conversation, something settled.
I wasn’t guessing anymore.
I was showing up.
It felt strange at first.
Over the next few weeks, I kept going.
I organized every document I could find, made calls, and followed up on things Sean used to handle.
Every step was small, but they added up.
Peter noticed, but didn’t say much.
Sean noticed too and started calling more.
“That’s not necessary, Cat,” he said once. “You’re overthinking things. You’ve been spending too much time with my dad. He’s filling your head with nonsense.”
I didn’t argue or defend my actions.
I didn’t need to.
