HIS EX WIFE CAME BACK

ter

my fathe

ca's

p breath, gripping the handle of my suitcase. It had been years since I walked through these doors. Years since

walked in, my heels clicking against the marble driveway. The house hadn't changed. The grand

pped

t I did,

ther. The most powe

ed onto me. His face was unreadable, but I could feel the weigh

bags and fell

ered, my voice sh

le

lms against the cold floor. My

have never hidden from you. I should have never-"

ords filled the va

d as he descended the stair

a," he said, his v

my head

anger, not with hatred-but with

was quiet, but it carried the force of a storm. "Do you know h

eyes. "I thought I was

s gaze soften

rd. "Now I kno

owly. "You'v

ken laugh. "You

moment. Then, he did so

down in f

caught in

id. "And I have always been

scaped

g to him like I was a little girl a

time in year

ng away. His eyes, now filled with some

e said. "You are a Reed. And it's time you

iffe

re my last name didn't define me. I wanted lo

t, her

if I'm ready

aintly. "Yo

sn't the same woman who begged Johnny Ry

ost eve

as time t

-

ting long shadows across the room. He sat on the edge of

ans

ai

, tossing the phone

he hell

cked h

as sh

when he handed her those divorce papers. Instead, sh

n that

ore than most peo

exhaled

ng wasn

again and dialed. The

t to vo

ip tig

ell was s

nly feel like he nev

's study, staring out at the city

ny.

t it

out the trut

w, I let h