Chapter 5
The study was dim, lit only by the small brass lamp on Adam’s desk. He sat in his leather chair, a glass of bourbon in his hand, staring blankly at the laptop screen. When the door opened, he didn't look up, but his shoulders tensed beneath his blue shirt.
Hannah walked in and shut the door firmly behind her. She didn't sit down. She stood by the edge of his desk, her arms crossed over her chest, the pale blue fabric of her dress looking almost ghostly in the low light.
"She’s asleep," Hannah said, her voice devoid of any warmth.
"Hannah, look," Adam started, setting his glass down with a heavy sigh. "I know I messed up today. I should have said something to Monica. I froze. You know how she gets when you challenge her, she just digs her heels in deeper and makes a scene."
"So you let her use our daughter as a punching bag instead," Hannah stated flatly. "You sacrificed Olivia's dignity to spare yourself a twenty-minute argument."
"That's not fair," Adam argued, his voice rising in defensive anger. "I love Olivia. You know I would never intentionally hurt her. I just thought... I thought if we ignored it, Monica would drop it and move on."
"She didn't drop it. She cornered her," Hannah stepped closer, leaning her hands on his desk. "Olivia noticed that you didn't defend her, Adam. Do you understand what that does to a little girl? The first man in her life, the one who is supposed to protect her from the monsters, just stood by and let the monster invite herself to lunch."
Adam winced, the words striking a nerve he couldn't ignore. He rubbed a hand over his face, looking suddenly much older than his forty-two years.
"I didn't know what to do," he admitted, his voice cracking. "I've spent years watching you and Monica tear each other apart over every little thing. I thought if I stayed neutral, it would eventually blow over."
May you like
"There is no neutrality when it comes to our child," Hannah said, her eyes blazing with an uncompromising fire. "If you ever, ever stand silently by while someone breaks her down again, you will not have to worry about keeping the peace with my sister. You will have to worry about keeping your family."
The ultimatum hung in the air, heavy and absolute. Adam looked up at his wife, seeing the fierce, unyielding mother standing before him. For the first time in their marriage, he realized that the quiet, patient woman he had married was entirely capable of burning their world down to keep their daughter warm.
