“Let’s see how well hospital superheroes can color,” she said, hoping her words might encourage them not to lift their masks.
“I want to make a picture for Mommy,” Bear said, choosing a red crayon. Caitlin’s eyes filled with tears. Damn it, they were supposed to be in the car on the way to Violet’s right now. If she hadn’t been so stupid … “She hangs them on the ’frigator,” he told her solemnly.
Maybe there was still a way to set things right. Assuming the FBI had Violet’s phone tapped, Caitlin couldn’t tip her off outright. But if she could get her down here—maybe she could still go through with something close to her plan, and redeem herself with Finn too, by giving him one last chance to make good before the authorities swooped in.
“Boys, I’m going to make a call at this phone right over here.” Caitlin pointed. She needed to be sure Bear would not yell out to her while she was on the line with Violet. “Can you color three pictures? One for me, and one for Leo when he’s feeling better, and one for Bear’s mommy, when we see her again.”
“What about Daddy?” Gus asked.
“Of course! One for Daddy. That makes four. Four pictures.” She counted out the sheets for each of them.
“What about my daddy?” Bear asked, wide-eyed.
“And Uncle Finn! What was I thinking?” Lord help her. “Five. Five pictures.” She gave them each one more. Then, when she was satisfied that they were busy at work, she crossed the room to the courtesy phone and dialed Violet.
The hopefulness in her friend’s “Hello?” was almost too much for Caitlin. Of course. She was calling from an unknown number. Violet would be hoping it was Finn.
“Vi, it’s me.”
“Oh. Cait.” Violet did not sound happy to hear from her. Downright unhappy, in fact. Caitlin told herself it was just the initial disappointment that she was someone other than Finn.
“Are you okay?” Caitlin asked. “Your voice sounds kind of funny.”
“How am I supposed to sound when my husband and son have gone missing?” The iciness was unmistakable.
Caitlin looked over at Bear. “I’m sorry.”
“Or when I realize my best friend never saw fit to tell me about my husband’s dead fiancée? Or their plans to move to Asheville, where I unwittingly dragged him against his will?”
So that was it. “How did you find out?” she asked, her mouth dry.
“From the FBI. You know, the way everyone wants to find out key information about their spouses that it turns out their friends have known all along.”
Tears filled Caitlin’s eyes. What little resolve she’d had left was gone. “I always thought he’d tell you, in his own time…”
“Right. Or he could snap and do something different ‘in his own time.’ Like disappear with our child.”
“If I had ever in a million years thought—”
“Where even are you?” Violet cut in. “I don’t recognize the area code.”
“I had the boys down at the cabin, and I … I mean, Leo…” Her voice broke. Even with everything that was going on, she realized that a part of her had been longing to hear Violet’s voice. She needed a friend right now. She was so scared and felt so alone. She was desperately trying to fix this. Violet had every right to be upset with her, but just … just not right this minute. Right this minute it was going to make it impossible for Caitlin to do what she had to do.
Violet sighed heavily. “What about Leo?”
Caitlin sniffed. “He got into some pills. Some Ambien.”
“Oh my God.” And just like that, the sarcasm in her tone changed to concern. Because Violet was, above all, a good person, a good friend, a good mom. She didn’t deserve any of this. “Is he okay?”
“I think so. I mean, they don’t know yet, for sure. But I think so. We’re at the hospital.”
“Jesus.” Violet’s anger was softening. “Wow. So that really does happen. I mean, you hear on the news about kids doing that sort of thing, but I always think, Really? How? I mean, pills are gross. I can’t get Bear to eat half the good stuff I put on his plate, let alone stuff he’s not supposed to touch.”
At the sound of Bear’s name, Caitlin felt the blood draining from her face. “He was also eating marshmallows,” she said weakly. “They were both on the counter.”
“You take Ambien?”
“No, George’s mother. She left them in the cabinet.” Caitlin stuck to the story she’d told the nurse. “I wasn’t sleeping well, and I got them out because I thought about taking one but I … I didn’t.”
“We just have to be so careful about every little thing the kids can reach, don’t we?” Violet got quiet then, and Caitlin imagined the agony of wondering if you’d ever need those little parenting reminders again. Even her position in the emergency room was probably enviable to Violet right now. If she only knew. “Are you okay?” Violet asked after a moment.
“I…” Caitlin’s original train of thought had derailed. “Actually, I was wondering if you could come down here. Sit with me? You know how awful hospitals are.” Violet didn’t answer right away, and Caitlin stole a glance over at the boys. They were intent on their work, heads down. Bear’s tongue was protruding from the corner of his mouth in concentration.
“George isn’t there?” Violet said finally.
“He’s working. In Cincinnati this week. I came alone with the boys.”
“Well, that’s not that far.” Violet sounded satisfied. “He could be there in a couple hours.”
Caitlin’s mind raced after another lie, but it came up with the truth. “I can’t face him,” she said. “This is all my fault.” She choked back a sudden sob, covering her mouth quickly with her hand. She turned away from the boys so they wouldn’t see and willed herself to pull it together.
“I thought you said Leo was going to be okay?”
Caitlin fought back another sob. “He is—” She sniffed hard. “I mean, I think so—”
When Violet spoke again, her words were thick with emotion. “Caitlin, under any other circumstances, I’d come and sit with you anytime, day or night, anytime you need a friend. But you have to understand—I sit here and I wait for Finn and Bear to come through that door. It might sound dumb, but that’s what I do. There’s nowhere else I can be. I can’t drive to Kentucky and risk missing them. That’s too much to ask of me. Especially right now, when I have so many questions for you. I’m sorry, but no.”
“We could talk about Maribel,” Caitlin blurted out. She knew she was grasping at the air, about to plummet into the abyss. But what else could she do? She would say anything it took to get Violet here—where Bear was. If she could just tell her, if she could just think of some hint that might get by the wiretap … but her mind, torn apart by worry, was failing her now.
“In person,” she added. “The way I should have told you in the first place. I can explain—”
“No offense, but I’m not sure a hospital is the best place for me to hear that story. I’ve already heard it, anyway. From Maribel’s mother.”