My Daughter's Defender

to her car seat, Mark' s c

e in place. But his eyes, they went straight to me, then

n to kiss Lily' s head, then straighten

d, keeping my voice light, avoiding his

he had one scheduled." His tone was

d vaguely, closing the ca

o the driver's si

ectively blocking my way. "Did you check you

to ice. He kne

told him immediately. This ti

confusion. "No, just

you might have heard from, say, a lawyer? About that distan

e snooped through my papers before, seen something about Aunt

d smile. "Yes, I heard she passed. I

o misdirec

later," I continued, trying to sound worried. "The cr

with our joint checking account, currently holding a few hundre

gone, replaced by a flicker of impatience. "Right,

probing. He was lik

nd even to my own ears. "Mark, what

is gaze intense. I held my breath, t

g himself off the car. "Yeah, I

gering in his eyes. He didn

," I said, opening my car d

s eyes still on me.

y from the curb, my hands gripping the steer

he was dangerously clo

, and I was playing for th

pily in the back

iew mirror, my heart aching w

on that money. He would n