I stepped backward.
“Don’t.”
His face hardened.
“Seriously?”
“Yes.”
“You’re going to use the girls to punish me now?”
I took the diaper bag from Gerald.
“I’m not pretending this is okay.”
Then I turned.
“I’m leaving.”
Gerald put his hand on my shoulder.
“No, you’re not.”
I spun around.
“Take your hand offme.”
“Claire.”
“Gerald.”
“You can’t afford to get home alone.”
That stopped me.
Because he was right.
The last-minute tickets.
The luggage.
Two babies.
I had almost no money available to make the return trip alone.
“And I’m not letting you run off with my granddaughters because you’re upset.”
Upset.
As if Ryan had forgotten an anniversary.
Not confessed to repeatedly cheating on me while I was giving birth and caring for twins alone.
I wanted to scream.
Instead, I climbed onto the flight home with them.
Ryan and Geraldspent part of the journey discussing a fishing trip.
