Vanessa agreed to meet me at
a coffee shop the following afternoon.
She arrived looking exhausted.
She was younger than me, with tired eyes and an expression full of regret.
Before sitting down, she said,
“I’m sorry about what my mother did.”
I folded my hands around my coffee.
“How long have you known about me?”
She hesitated.
“Mom told me everything after she decided to move. She realized you might eventually find me, and I think she wanted to clear her conscience.”
I stared at her.
“Then start at the beginning.”
Vanessa nodded.
“I met Nathan at work.”
I waited.
“He told me your marriage was already falling apart.”
“And you believed him?”
She lowered her eyes.
“I wanted to.”
“Did you know about Joel?”
“Yes.”
“And you stayed with him anyway?”
She swallowed.
“Then I found out I was pregnant. Nathan promised he’d make a decision.”
I gave a bitter laugh.
“And he decided
to abandon his wife and son.”
Vanessa looked down.
“I’m sorry.”
“Did you marry him?”
“After your divorce was finalized.”
She hesitated.
“We have a daughter. Lily. She’s four.”
I sat silently for a moment.
Nathan had another child.
A little girl.
Joel had a half-sister he’d never met.
And I had spent five years raising him alone while Nathan built another family.
But there was one question I needed answered more than anything.
“Why did your mother move onto my street?”
Vanessa’s expression changed.
“Because Nathan asked her to.”
I stared.
“What?”
“He wanted someone nearby who could keep an eye on you and Joel.”
My hands tightened around the coffee cup.
“You’re telling me Ivy moved there deliberately?”
Vanessa nodded.
“I didn’t know at the time. I thought Mom simply wanted a different neighborhood. She only admitted the truth after she moved out.”
I felt sick.
For five
years, I’d welcomed Ivy into our lives.
I’d let her spend time with Joel.
I’d accepted her cookies.
I’d borrowed money from her.
I’d told her about my struggles.
And all along, she had been passing information to Nathan.
“What exactly was she reporting?” I asked.
Vanessa sighed.
“Whether Joel was happy. What school he attended. What activities he liked. Whether you were seeing anyone. Whether you were having financial problems.”
I remembered Ivy’s endless questions.
Swimming lessons.
Money.
Dating.
