The Good Father

Her refusal to see, to believe in the possibility, had made it impossible for him to continue to share those fears with her. She gave them no credence. They fell on deaf ears...

But as good as she was at putting herself in other people’s shoes, she’d never seemed to figure out, or understand, that if he opened up and gave her all of the emotions he kept in check, all of the passion and the love and the joy, he’d also risk exposing her to the shadowy side of all of that. The anger that had lurked inside his father just waiting for a life challenge that was too big for him to handle to trigger it. And could possibly lurk inside him, too.

The tension that had built within him during the repeated fertility treatments had been a sign to him. He’d thought, at first, that he was experiencing the normal reactions most couples in their situation experienced. He’d only realized, after Ella finally got pregnant, and he couldn’t share in her joy, that his tension stemmed from something else. He wasn’t prepared to be a father. Wasn’t willing to have a child, as his parents had, knowing that at some point, he could turn from a loving father into a monster...

Ella wasn’t aware of the danger. But he was.

“I saw the bruises, Brett.” Ella’s voice was completely different now. Soft. Almost pleading. And a shock to him, following on his thoughts...

“Chloe told me she was bruised when she came here.” He gentled his voice, as well. Because Jeff and Chloe—they didn’t fit the pattern of abuse. They were just a normal couple. “She said she fell into a doorjamb during the last argument. He’d said something to her about bombarding him with her crap and pushed past her just as she was stepping back away from him...”

Breaking eye contact, Ella took a sip of her wine. Watched as the couple at the next table, the older woman who’d stared when Ella raised her voice, paid their bill and left.

“They had a victim at the Stand a while back,” Brett said. “She was young. Fifteen. She claimed that her brother had hit her. More than once. He was older, about our age. The brother had raised her from infancy...”

He had Ella’s full attention again.

“He claimed that he’d never touched her. And that he wouldn’t ever do so. There was no indication through medical or school records that there’d ever been an issue with him. Or her, either, for that matter. But it was clear to Sara and Lila and others that the girl was afraid of her brother. And that she’d been abused. Charges were going to be pressed against him, on her behalf. He stood to lose custody of her. And would have, if not for one person, an attorney, who believed him enough to do some checking on her own.”

“You said would have. I’m guessing that means he wasn’t charged?”

“He didn’t abuse her. There were other things going on. He’d lied to his siblings about his past. His little sister found out his secret at the same time she witnessed something else that weakened her trust in him. She felt angry. Afraid. And had to get away from him.”

“But he’d never hurt her?”

“More like he was father-of-the-year material.”

“But her distress was valid.”

She was getting it.

“Yes.”

“You’re saying that you think something else could be going on here with Jeff and Chloe.”

“I’m saying I believe Jeff when he tells me he’s not abusing his wife. I also know he doesn’t fit the profile. He’s never been involved in any sort of violent activity. He’s never shown signs of having a temper or anger issues. He comes from a good, loving family. Your folks were respectful of you both. And still are.”

Other than being gone more than they were around. Traveling through North America as full-time RVers, working in various parks as they went, going on their eighth year now.

“He doesn’t have an alcohol problem, has an easygoing disposition and is financially secure. He’s socially adept, confident and is clearly devoted to his family.

“All of this leads me to believe that something else is going on here.”

“Like?”

“I don’t know. Maybe, like Jeff thinks, Chloe is suffering from depression. She went from being a career person, managing a restaurant with the hopes of owning her own someday, to being a stay-at-home mom.”

“That was her choice. Jeff was happy to support whichever decision she made, to stay at home or keep working.”

“And maybe it was the choice she wanted to make, the one that she believes is best, but it’s an enormous life change. There could be some residual depression involved. And maybe subconsciously, Jeff is reacting to that. Maybe he’s more irritable with her because of it, which feeds her feeling that his anger with her is escalating...”

“I know that she loves her work at the Stand,” Ella said. “She’s exhausted, but clearly enjoys what she’s doing.”

Ella paused and then asked, “Did you ever meet him?”

He frowned. Wondering what he’d missed.

“The brother you were talking about. Guardian to the fifteen-year-old resident at the Stand.”