Chapter 3 - THE PHONE AIDEN NEVER WANTED
I did not answer most calls.
Aunt Linda:
Ignored.
Cousin Paul:
Ignored.
Mom:
Three calls.
Ignored.
Dad:
Voicemail.
Claire, your grandmother is old and angry. Don't take advantage of this moment. Call me.
That one almost got me.
Take advantage.
As though I had somehow engineered Emily placing a child's birthday gift in her purse.
Then Aiden texted.
I hadn't expected that.
Aunt Claire can I talk to you without Mom knowing
I stared at it.
He's fourteen.
That matters.
I responded carefully.
If you're unsafe, call your dad or another trusted adult immediately. If you just need to talk, yes.
Aiden's father, Marcus, had been divorced from Emily for nine years.
He lived twenty minutes away and had alternating weekends plus one weekday overnight.
Emily often complained that Marcus was cheap.
I had never questioned her version.
Maybe that needed to change too.
Aiden called.
“I'm not unsafe.”
“Okay.”
“Mom's just freaking out.”
I sat at my kitchen table.
“What do you need?”
He hesitated.
Then:
“I really didn't ask for the phone.”
“I believe you.”
“She told everyone mine doesn't work for school.”
“Does it?”
“Yeah.”
“What did she want the money for?”
Silence.
“I don't know exactly.”
“Aiden.”
“I think bills.”
“That's different from knowing.”
“I saw her bank app.”
I immediately stopped.
“You do not need to investigate your mother.”
“I wasn't.”
“Good.”
“I was using her phone because mine was charging.”
He hesitated again.
“There were a bunch of red numbers.”
Overdrafts.
Possibly.
Then:
“And messages from Grandpa.”
My chest tightened.
“What messages?”
“He kept telling her not to worry because he'd ‘handle Grandma.’”
There it was.
Dad had known more than I thought.
Aiden continued.
“And Grandma's not supposed to know Mom already borrowed from Grandpa.”
“How much?”
“I don't know.”
“Then don't guess.”
“Okay.”
Then he said:
“I want to stay with Dad for a while.”
That was bigger.
“Have you told him?”
“No.”
“Tell him.”
“Mom will say I'm betraying her.”
A fourteen-year-old should not be responsible for managing his mother's emotional response to custody schedules.
I knew something about children becoming easy.
“Aiden.”
“Yeah?”
“You are allowed to want stability without deciding your mother is a bad person.”
Silence.
Then:
“Did Lily think I took her money?”
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
He sounded relieved.
Before hanging up, he asked:
“Can I buy her something with my own money?”
“You don't need to.”
“I want to.”
“Then keep it small.”
“What does she like?”
“Art supplies.”
Three days later, a package arrived.
Inside:
A $12 watercolor set.
Card:
Sorry your birthday got weird. — Aiden
May you like
Lily carried that card around longer than Grandma's check.
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