She was beginning to understand what her excitement had cost.
“Where are Lily and Sophie?” she asked.
Michael unlocked his vehicle.
“With Laura.”
“I know that.”
“Where?”
Michael shrugged.
“Probably at the condo packing.”
Monica stared at him.
“You gave Laura primary custody.”
“Yes.”
“And you don’t know where your daughters are today?”
Michael slammed the car door.
“I have had a difficult morning.”
Richard looked at him coldly.
“So have they.”
Michael drove away.
He called me at 12:26.
I saw his name on the dashboard.
I let it ring.
Then I asked Rachel to answer.
She put the phone on speaker.
“Hello?”
Michael paused.
“Rachel?”
“Yes.”
“Where’s Laura?”
“Driving.”
“Where are you?”
“On the road.”
“What road?”
Rachel looked at me.
I shook my head.
She answered, “Michael, if you need to discuss the children, speak
calmly.”
“I am calm.”
He was not.
“I need to talk to Laura.”
I spoke.
“I’m here.”
“Where are you going?”
“Vancouver.”
Silence.
“What?”
“We’re moving.”
“You can’t just move my kids to another country.”
“The relocation provision is in the agreement.”
“What relocation provision?”
“The one you signed.”
He said nothing.
I could almost picture him searching his memory.
Then he said, “I didn’t agree to this.”
“Yes, you did.”
“My lawyer would have told me.”
“He did.”
Rachel looked at me.
I continued.
“The mediator discussed it too.”
Michael’s breathing changed.
“You planned this.”
“Yes.”
“Behind my back.”
“No.”
“The job offer was disclosed.”
“The address was disclosed.”
“The school plan was disclosed.”
“You were copied on every document.”
“You didn’t read them.”
He went quiet.
Then his voice softened.
“Laura, something happened.”
I knew immediately.
“What?”
He hesitated.
“Sabrina’s dates might be wrong.”
I kept my eyes on the road.
“I’m sorry.”
“That’s all you have to say?”
“What would you like me to say?”
“I don’t know.”
Neither did I.
His problem was no longer mine to solve.
He continued.
“The baby might not be mine.”
Rachel turned toward me.
I said nothing.
Michael sounded almost desperate.
“Did you hear me?”
“Yes.”
“Laura, I made decisions based on what she told me.”
I felt a strange stillness.
Then I answered.
“No, Michael.”
“You made decisions based on what you wanted to believe.”
He inhaled sharply.
“That’s not fair.”
“It’s exactly fair.”
“You had two daughters when you walked into that clinic.”
