He Said France Was Business, But I Found His Secret Family Outside My Operating Room

“I do.”

She looked at me then, really looked. Her gaze moved over my badge, my tired face, the indentation my mask had left on my cheeks.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

The apology surprised me by being useless.

“I believe you,” I replied.

She flinched.

“I don’t forgive you,” I added. “But I believe you didn’t know enough.”

She nodded as if even that was more kindness than she expected.

My phone buzzed again.

A text from Grant.

Still delayed. Plane Wi-Fi is trash. Talk tomorrow. Love you.

I turned the phone so Elise could see.

Her face went pale.

“He told me he was going home to shower,” she said. “He said he’d be back by nine.”

“He won’t,” I said.

She looked at me, frightened again. “What are you going to do?”

I stood.

“What I should have done the first time he made me feel crazy for asking a reasonable question.”

Then I walked out before she could ask anything else.

By nine that night, Grant had lost access to more than he knew he had.