I stared at her.
« That’s an interesting statement. »
Her facial expression changed instantly.
« I thought I had picked you up. »
« No, you haven’t. »
„Diane –“
« Why are Frank’s things still here? »
« I planned to send everything. »
« They told me the hospital had lost most of it. »
Claire looked towards the stairs.
Then I saw Frank’s mobile phone lying on the kitchen counter.
I walked across the room and picked it up.
Claire immediately approached me.
« Give me that. »
I held the phone to my chest.
« You told me that this was missing too. »
She stopped.
None of us spoke.
Then the boy appeared at the top of the stairs.
Frank’s hat was still on his head.
He looked at me, then at Claire.
« Mama? »
Mama.
Claire closed her eyes.
« Go upstairs, Eli. »
The boy looked at me curiously.
« Who is she? »
« Please go upstairs. »
He disappeared again.
I turned around and looked at Claire again.
« Who is that? »
She said nothing.
« Who is Eli? »
“My son.”
For a few seconds I really thought I had misunderstood her.
« Your what? »
“My son.”
I looked towards the stairs.
« So you’re telling me that Frank had a grandson? »
Claire started to cry.
Not me.
Not yet.
» How old is he? «
» Twelve. «
I sat down.
Twelve years.
Twelve Christmases.
Twelve birthdays.
For years I had sent Claire cards, gifts, invitations and Christmas packages.
Every December I asked Frank if we should send him something extra.
Every December, he told me, Claire prefers to keep things simple.
Apparently, « simple » meant keeping an entire person out of the story.
I looked at Claire.
Did Frank know about this?
Her silence was an answer, before she herself could speak.
Something inside me has broken.
“How long?”
« Since Eli was little. »
“How little?”
» Three. «
I pushed myself up so quickly that the chair scraped across the floor.
« Nine years? »
« Diane, please. »
« Frank knew this for nine years? »
Claire hid her face.
« Yes. »
My anger turned so suddenly that I felt dizzy.
The warning engraved on the ring was still in my handbag.
DON’T BELIEVE HER.
But Frank had also lied to me.
I put his phone on the table.
« Tell me everything. »
Claire shook her head.
« I cannot do that at the moment. »
« Your father is in an urn, Claire. He left me a warning in his wedding ring. We will definitely do this now. »
Her head jerked up.
« Was? »
I took the ring out of my handbag and held it out to her.
She stared at the engraving.
“Oh, Dad.”
« You knew it? »
« Not what he wrote. »
« Then start explaining. »
Claire sat opposite me.
« Eli’s father left before he was born. My father and I didn’t speak to each other back then. »
« Why didn’t you tell me? »
« I was ashamed. »
« To have a child? »
« Everything. »
She wiped her face.
“When my father and I finally spoke to each other again, Eli was three years old. My father came to visit. I asked him not to tell anyone yet.”
“Anyone?”
» Of. «
This answer hurt more than I had expected.
« Why me? »
« Because for years you tried to make me feel like I belonged to your family, and I kept pushing you away. And then suddenly I had a whole child that I had hidden from you. »
« So you just kept hiding him. »
« At first I thought I would tell you soon. »
« And then? »
« Every year the lie only made it worse. » I laughed bitterly.
« That’s the usual consequence of lies. »
Claire nodded.
“Dad started saying the same thing.”
I looked down at the ring.
« Is that the reason he came here? »
She hesitated.
» Partially. «
Claire sold the house.
She and Eli were preparing to move back to our city.
Frank had travelled abroad, determined to convince her that she had to tell me about Eli before she returned.
“He said we couldn’t just walk into your life and pretend the last twelve years never happened,” Claire said.
« So has he finally developed a conscience? »
She flinched.
« He told me for years that I had to tell you. »
« But he still kept your secret. »
« Yes. »
That one word was crucial.
Claire made no attempt to defend him.
« He loved you, » she said softly. « And he abandoned you. »
I turned my face away.
Apparently, both things can be true at the same time.
After a moment, I looked at the ring again.
« When did he change the engraving? »
Claire frowned.
» What do you mean? «
I explained that the inscription was new.
See more on the next page
