Live to Tell (Live to Tell #1)(76)

“She said you wouldn’t get her a coat.”

Oh please. Daddy’s girl strikes again.

“It’s August,” Marin points out. “I really think it could have waited another day.”

“Caroline was worried it would be gone. They only had one in her size.”

She sighs. “Look, I wasn’t feeling well in that store. I had to get out of there. I told her we’ll go back, and—”

“Shh, it’s okay.” He pats her shoulder, then steps away from the bed, loosening his tie. “No big deal. I told Caroline to call the store and arrange to have the coat sent over.”

“Yeah? I bet I know who’s going to bring it.”

“What do you mean?”

“She has a crush on one of the guys who works there.”

Garvey’s eyes narrow. “She has a crush on a store clerk?”

“Turns out he’s her friend’s brother, but at first I thought…”

“What?” he prompts when she trails off.

“You know what I thought. I saw him, and he had dark hair and dark eyes and he was in his early twenties, and—”

“Stop.” Garvey strides over to the bedroom door, closes it, and turns to face her. “Are you going to spend the rest of our lives doing this to yourself?”

Doing this to me, is what he should have said, because that’s really what he’s worried about. Garvey has always taken pride in his ability to compartmentalize his life.

“I can’t help it,” she tells him now. “I can’t just pretend he never existed. How can you?”

“Keep your voice down, please.” He casts a glance at the closed door. “Do you really think I’m that coldhearted, Marin? Of course he existed. He still exists, somewhere.”

“You don’t know that. You couldn’t find him fourteen years ago, when you tried.”

“That doesn’t mean he isn’t out there. And wherever he is, I’m sure he’s thankful to us.”

“For abandoning him?”

“We did what we had to do—for his sake.”

“No, Garvey. For our own sakes,” she hisses, and turns away.

For your sake, really.

She would never have given up her child, if not for Garvey. He talked her into it in the first place—and he made her follow through in the end, when she wavered, holding the baby in her arms.

Garvey never did. Never even touched him.

Maybe that’s why Marin’s the one who can’t forget.

And maybe that’s why Garvey was able to put the whole trauma behind him years ago, as effectively as if he had packed their son into a trunk and buried him somewhere.



“Your daughter is very bright, Mrs. Walsh, and very imaginative. I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that.”

“It’s always nice to hear,” Lauren tells Dr. Prentiss. She keeps her voice down, conscious of the open door to the waiting room, where Sadie’s now settled in a chair with Highlights and a grape lollipop.

“Sadie is experiencing some anxiety, as you and Dr. Rogel have discussed.” Dr. Prentiss indicates the manila file folder on the desk between them.

“Is it directly related to the divorce?”

“It’s hard to say, but possibly. She seems reluctant to speak about her father at all.”

Should she tell Dr. Prentiss about Nick?

What if Dr. Prentiss decides she, Lauren, is making mountains out of molehills—or worse? What if she blames Sadie’s problems on her?

But wouldn’t it be negligent for Lauren not to mention that Nick is—or at least was—more or less missing in action?

She forces herself to look up at the woman, who seems to be waiting for her to elaborate.

“My ex-husband hasn’t been around much lately, and…” Tread carefully, Lauren. “Um, did Sadie mention what happened this past weekend?”

Dr. Prentiss skirts the question with one of her own. “Why don’t you tell me?”

“Nick had been on vacation for a week and he was supposed to be back Sunday to have a visitation with the kids. He never showed up. We didn’t hear from him until yesterday, and he wasn’t very…apologetic, I guess, is the word. In fact, he didn’t bother to call—and that’s out of character, so… I mean, he just sent a text message.”

Dr. Prentiss nods.

“So Sadie didn’t say anything about that?” Lauren asks.

“Not specifically, no.”

“What did she say, then?”

The doctor glances at her notes as though she doesn’t remember, though she just saw Sadie a few minutes ago. “She’s shown an excessive attachment to certain belongings.”

“Right. Dr. Rogel said that’s common in…” Just go ahead and say it. “…in children of divorce.”

“Your daughter feels quite vulnerable and threatened at home.”

“Threatened?”

“She’s convinced that you or her sister are going to come into her room and take away her toys.”

“What? I mean, we have been getting rid of old things—clutter—for a tag sale, but nothing of Sadie’s. I wouldn’t take away anything of hers. Especially lately, with the way she’s been acting. I didn’t even let the cleaning ladies go into her room today. Didn’t she tell you that?” Aware that she sounds defensive, Lauren can’t seem to help herself.