Chapter 7 - The Woman at the Door Dana Ruiz stood outside holding a badge.
She was calm.
Professional.
Almost gentle.
“Mr. Mercer?”
“Yes.”
“I'm Dana Ruiz with Child Protective Services.”
Grant looked behind him.
Lily was standing near the staircase.
Dana noticed her.
“Hi, Lily.”
Lily pressed against Grant's leg.
Dana didn't move closer.
“My name is Dana.”
Lily said nothing.
Grant invited them inside.
For the next hour, Dana asked questions.
Who cared for Lily?
How often was Grant home?
Who handled bedtime?
Had Vivian disciplined Lily?
Had Grant known?
Grant answered.
Some answers were easy.
Others weren't.
Then Dana asked:
“Did you know Lily was becoming afraid of making mistakes?”
Grant looked down.
Marisol had told him.
Months earlier.
He had dismissed it.
He had called it an adjustment period.
Now he realized how cruel those words sounded.
Dana watched him carefully.
“You don't have to convince me you're a good father.”
Grant looked up.
“I’m not trying to.”
“Good.”
“Then what do you need?”
“The truth.”
Grant nodded.
“I failed to pay attention.”
Dana wrote something down.
May you like
It was only one sentence.
But Grant knew it might become the most important sentence he had ever spoken.
Related Stories
