“Give me that.”
I pressed the phone against my chest.
“You told me this was missing too.”
She stopped.
Neither of us said anything.
Then the boy appeared at the top of the staircase.
Frank’s cap was still on his head.
He looked at me, then at Claire.
“Mom?”
Mom.
Claire shut her eyes.
“Go upstairs, Eli.”
The boy studied me curiously.
“Who is she?”
“Upstairs. Please.”
He disappeared again.
I turned back to Claire.
“Who is that?”
She said nothing.
“Who is Eli?”
“My son.”
For several seconds, I honestly thought I had heard her wrong.
“Your what?”
“My son.”
I stared toward the stairs.
“You’re telling me Frank had a grandson?”
Claire began crying.
I didn’t.
Not yet.
“How old is he?”
“Twelve.”
I sat down.
Twelve years.
Twelve Christmases.
Twelve birthdays.
For years, I had mailed Claire cards, gifts, invitations, and holiday packages.
Every December, I asked Frank whether we should send something extra.
Every December, he told me Claire preferred keeping things simple.
Apparently, “simple” meant leaving an entire human being out of the story.
I looked at Claire.
“Did Frank know?”
Her silence answered before her mouth did.
Something inside me cracked.
“How long?”
“Since Eli was little.”
“How little?”
“Three.”
I pushed up from the chair so quickly it scraped across the floor.
“Nine years?”
“Diane, please.”
“Frank knew for nine years?”
Claire covered her face.
“Yes.”
My anger changed direction so quickly it made me dizzy.
The warning carved inside the ring was still in my purse.
DON’T BELIEVE HER.
But Frank had been lying to me too.
I set his phone on the table.
“Tell me everything.”
Claire shook her head.
“I can’t do this right now.”
