His face went completely pale.
“She said that?”
“Yes.”
“She’s seven.”
The anger returned instantly.
“Don’t do that.”
“What?”
“Don’t decide she doesn’t understand her feelings simply because you don’t like what those feelings are.”
Ryan went silent.
I watched him for several seconds.
Then I asked the question Travis had left me with.
“What did Travis confront you about?”
Ryan’s eyes shifted toward the counter.
“He was interfering.”
“How?”
“He thinks he gets to tell me how to parent.”
“Why?”
Ryan suddenly snapped.
“Why do you always interrogate me? Why can’t you trust me? I’m your husband.”
That was the moment I realized he wasn’t going to tell me.
So I took out my phone.
“Who are you calling?”
I didn’t answer until Travis picked up.
“I need you to come over.”
Ryan’s expression hardened.
“Seriously?”
I ended the call.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because one of you is going to explain what has been happening to our daughter.”
Part 6 — What Emma Had Been Trying to Say
Ten minutes later, Travis stood just inside our front door.
Ryan glared at him.
Travis ignored it.
I stood between them.
“Tell me.”
Travis exhaled.
“Emma started asking why Ryan didn’t like me.”
Ryan scoffed.
Travis continued.
“I told her sometimes adults don’t get along. I wasn’t going to involve her in whatever problem Ryan had with me.”
“Then?”
“She said Ryan kept asking her questions.”
I turned toward my husband.
“What questions?”
Travis answered for him.
“Whether I took her places without permission. Whether I bought her things. Whether I let her do things you two wouldn’t allow.”
My stomach tightened.
“And whether I asked her to keep secrets.”
Ryan crossed his arms.
“Those are reasonable questions.”
Travis nodded.
“They were the first time.”
Ryan’s face changed.
Travis continued.
“The problem was that you didn’t believe her answers.”
I looked at Ryan.
He said nothing.
“Emma told me you kept asking the same things over and over,” Travis said. “And eventually you said, ‘You don’t have to protect Travis. You can tell me if he hurt you.’”
