Calvin turned then. His stare was ice. “Get out. Collect nothing. Leave this house within the next five minutes, or I will call law enforcement with evidence. And there will be evidence.”
Talia faltered. She glanced once at Reese. Her mouth curled in something like a smirk. “You think you know the whole story. You do not. Ask Fiona. Ask your dear sister. She knows more than you think.”
Then she left. The gate clicked shut. The world exhaled.
Calvin carried Reese inside. He sat on the living room sofa, holding the boy until his sobs quieted. Outside, the ocean rolled against the cliffs. The house felt suddenly enormous. Empty.
“Did she hurt you before?” Calvin asked. His voice was gentle, but the question broke something open inside him.
Reese hesitated. His fingers curled in Calvin’s collar. “Sometimes. She said you knew. She said Aunt Fiona knew. She said if I told anyone, I would go to a special school far away. She said you did not want me anymore.”
Calvin’s spine went cold. “I want you. Nothing could make me stop wanting you. Nothing she ever said was true.”
Reese nodded against his chest. Calvin felt anger simmer. A focused, sharpened thing.
When Reese finally fell asleep, Calvin laid him in bed and covered him with the quilt his late wife had sewn. His breath steadied. He looked peaceful for the first time in months.
Calvin went to his study. He opened his laptop. He began searching. Phone records. Employment contracts. Background checks that suddenly looked too polished. His sister’s number glowed on the screen. Fiona Weston. She had insisted on hiring Talia. She had vouched for her. She had waved off Calvin’s doubts.
He dialed.
“Cal. What a surprise,” Fiona said. Her voice always carried the cadence of champagne. Effervescent. Superficial.
“I need to know something. Why did you recommend Talia Price to me?”
Fiona paused. “Because she came highly recommended. I thought you knew that. You checked her references. Is something wrong?”
Calvin pushed forward. “She restrained Reese. With rope. She harmed him. Not once. For months.”
A long silence.
“Calvin. You cannot take Reese’s word for everything. He makes things up. He dramatizes. You know how disabled children can be. They crave attention.”
Calvin’s blood boiled. “Disabled children? He is my son. He is a person. He is not a burden. And he is telling the truth.”