My heartbeat slows to a peaceful rhythm as I pull out my phone and FaceTime my daughter.
She picks up after a few beats, snuggling into what appears to be the plane’s seat with the face mask pushed up on her hair.
Annika has always been the life of the house. The sunshine, the joker, the bright light all of us looked forward to.
She’s Adrian’s little girl, which is why he vehemently refuses to admit she’s all grown up, the light to Jeremy’s shadows, and the girl after Ogla’s carefully-hidden heart.
This baby, who’s not a baby anymore, has had us all in a chokehold since the moment she was born.
So to see her downward expression and worn-out face squeezes my heart. She’s not even wearing one of her pretty purple dresses and has settled for an oversized hoodie and jeans instead.
“We still didn’t arrive yet, Mom. I’ll text when we do.”
“Anni, wait.” I swallow. “I wanted to talk to you.”
“If it’s about staying away from Creigh, then you can just forget about it. I already turned eighteen and I don’t need anyone’s approval to date whoever I like. I love you and Papa, but I won’t let you take the one thing I have of my own.”
Adrian tries to take the phone, but I keep it out of reach so that I’m the only one in the frame, then smooth my voice. “Can I tell you a story?”
She shrugs her shoulder. “If you want.”
“Remember when I used to tell you that a long time ago, I suffered mentally?” My voice chokes and Adrian squeezes my fingers.
The knowledge that he’s here gives me the courage to poke the demons from my past.
At Anni’s careful nod, I continue, “It was a lot worse than you could imagine. I was aimless, created a rift between me, your father, and your brother, and had the most hellish time in my life. Everyone has moments where they hit rock bottom, and that time was mine. As if that wasn’t enough, one of the power figures who was supposed to protect me—and people like me—used my circumstances to…try to sexually assault me as he’d done to several others before me.”
Annika gasps, her eyes shining with unshed tears.
“It didn’t happen,” I blurt. “I didn’t let him.”
“Oh. Thank God.” She releases a breath. “Where was Papa at the time?”
“He…killed him.”
“Phew. Good riddance.”
“You’re okay with that? I thought you didn’t like it when your papa hurt people.”
“It’s okay if he’s cleaning the world of scum like the one who tried to assault you and others.”
Adrian smirks, looking so proud of himself.
“That man was a mayoral candidate, Anni.”
“So what? That doesn’t give him the right to go assaulting people. In fact, he should be held more accountable.”
“True. But he had a family. A wife and a son.”
“Oh.” She purses her lips. “I feel sorry for them, but they’re probably better off without a bastard like that in their lives.”
“The wife attempted double suicide soon after the police started investigating her for abetting her husband's serial rape crimes. She was found hanging from the ceiling in their home, but her boy barely escaped being asphyxiated to death by gas.”
It happens gradually, almost unnoticeably, but Annika’s face blanches and her eyes widen as recognition slowly sets in.
That means he probably mentioned the incident to her. Damn it. I’m pretty sure the doctor said he wouldn’t remember much of it.
He was so young back then.
I exchange a look with Adrian, whose face is closed off, probably thinking that this goes a lot deeper than any of us thought.
That maybe he approached her on purpose, after all.
“What…what are you saying, Mom? Are you trying to tell me that the man who hurt you, whom Papa killed, is Creighton’s biological father?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
“But that can’t be… It just…can’t… Oh my God, is that why you acted strangely when you saw his picture? Does he look like his biological father?”
“Not really, but he has the same look in his eyes. I will never forget those eyes.”
“No, no, no…” Tears stream down her cheeks with the persistence of an overflowing river.
“Anni?”
“No, Mom. No!” She sobs. “This…this just can’t be true.”
“I’m sorry, baby angel. I’m so sorry.” It takes everything in me not to break down and cry with her. I wish she were here so I could hug her, try to make it better, but all I can do is be strong for her.