“But then… who’s at your house?” Brooke’s voice had dropped a full register.
Jack had insisted that I come tonight.
He’d kissed my forehead while Liam argued about brushing his teeth, and told me he had it handled.
“You deserve a night off,” he’d said. “Go and celebrate with your girlfriends.”
He’d sounded so sure, like it was easy.
I’d had a moment’s doubt (Jack struggled a little with the kids sometimes), but his confidence had persuaded me.
I mean, how much trouble could a man get into while caring for his own kids?
“It’s probably nothing,” I said.
“Liam struggles to sleep sometimes.
Maybe he weighed something on the scale.”
“No, sweetie, I don’t think so.” Lila put her phone away. “What could Liam be weighing that’s 115 pounds?”
Hannah was already reaching for her purse. “I’m with Lila on this.
We are not sitting here while something weird is happening at your house.”
Five women were staring at me.
Waiting.
I grabbed my clutch.
“Fine.
I’ll go check.”
“We’ll go check,” Brooke said. “We’re coming with you.”
Two minutes later, we were crammed into a taxi, knees knocking, the driver glancing at us in the rearview mirror like he wasn’t sure what he’d gotten himself into.
Honestly, fair enough.
“We’re probably making a big deal out of nothing,” I muttered.
“I’m just going to text Jack and ask him—”
“Just ask if everything’s okay,” Jenna cut in.
I leaned forward slightly to look at her. “Just that?
Why?”
“To see what he says… if you’re too specific—”
“That’s when they start lying,” Marissa finished.
“Okay, fine.” I texted Jack while the city slid past the windows.
Everything okay?
Three dots appeared almost instantly.
Yep.
Kids are asleep.
You have fun 😉
I stared at that winking emoji for a long moment.
“Did he answer?” Lila asked.
“He says everything’s fine.”
Brooke leaned across the seat. “Ask him what he’s doing.”
What are you up to?
A pause this time.
Longer than before.
Just watching TV. Why?
“He’s watching TV.
He wants to know why I’m asking.”
The taxi hit a red light, and the car went quiet.
We exchanged glances.
It felt like we were all thinking the same thing, but nobody wanted to say it.
Marissa ran her hand over her forehead. “Michelle, we’re almost there.
It’s better to check it out, and if this is nothing, we’ll all laugh about it tomorrow.”
“And if it’s not?” Hannah asked quietly.
Nobody answered that.
Soon, the taxi pulled to a stop outside my house.
The porch light was off.
“You want me to wait?” the driver asked.
“Yes,” Hannah said before I could open my mouth. “Keep the engine running.”
I stepped out onto the curb.
I studied the house as I moved toward it, but apart from the porch light, everything looked normal.
I unlocked the door and stepped inside.
It smelled like my vanilla candle.
There was no TV noise.
Nothing.
I stood in the entryway and let the silence settle over me.
Something felt… wrong.
Then I looked at the hallway rack.
The kids’ jackets were gone. Liam’s red hoodie and Ava’s sparkly pink coat were both missing from their hooks.
He’d told me they were asleep and that he was watching TV. Both lies.
Where was my husband, and more importantly, where were my kids?
I was reaching for my phone to call 911 when I heard the voices.
Jack was speaking in a low voice, almost pleading, “Not yet.
Just a little longer, please?”
And then I heard a woman’s voice, laughing.
“Begging won’t change my mind.”
I hurried up the stairs.
Halfway up, the voices got clearer, and by the time I reached the top, I knew exactly which room they were coming from.
I pushed open the bedroom door.
The lamp was on.
A woman was standing near my dresser, barefoot on the rug, her hair still damp. She was wearing my robe.
Jack was sitting on the edge of our bed.
All three of us stared at each other.
