A Day in a Life

Chapter Thirty-Five

Elijah

W HEN OLIVER FLANDERS enters his daughter’s room, he collapses into a chair next to her bed and bursts into tears.

Sydni has been somewhat unresponsive since I told her the news about Hannah. I knew she wasn’t ready to hear the truth. But she insisted, and I promised her no more secrets. She deserved to know the truth, even if I would have preferred to wait to tell her when she was well.

Something inside her has turned off. She sleeps, she stares. The nurse says she’s in shock, but as she processes everything that has happened, she’ll return to normal.

She still squeezes my hand now and then. When she wakes up suddenly, she says my name. I know she wants me by her side.

She wakes up when she hears her father. They embrace, saying nothing, only hugging and crying.

When they finally release each other, I say, “I have a few items of business to take care of.” All items that have to do with Sydni. I’ve made life-changing decisions. “I’ll give the two of you privacy.” Time to have a much-needed father-and-daughter conversation. Their family dynamics are difficult at best.

I kiss Sydni on the forehead. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours, okay?” I reassure her.

She holds my hand so tightly, it hurts. “Okay.”

“I promise, I’ll be back. Have a good visit with your father.”

I nod at Sydni’s father. “Oliver.”

He nods back at me. “Elijah.”

WHEN I RETURN , I find a smiling Sydni. I don’t know what was said during their talk, but her father knew how to cheer her up. It’s her first sign of life since I told her about Hannah’s misdeeds nearly twenty-four hours ago. Sometimes a girl just needs her dad.

“Elijah, may I speak with you?” Oliver booms.

“Of course.” I hold Sydni’s hand for a moment. “Be right back.”

She nods but says nothing.

“Thank you for finding my daughter,” Oliver says, then gives me a hug so tight I can hardly breathe.

“You bet.”

“I’m going to be straight, here. Are you in love with Sydni?” Oliver is straight all right. A straight shooter.

“Yes.” There’s nothing more to say except that one word.

His smile practically encompasses his face. “I couldn’t be happier. You’re perfect for her. Now I know this is just the beginning for you two, but I need to ask you a favor.”

“Anything.” I mean it.

“She’s being released tomorrow, correct?”

“She is.” I’m not sure she’s ready mentally, but physically, she’s doing well.

“Where will she go?” Oliver asks.

“I assumed she’d go home with you.” Although I’d like to take her to my place. Just hadn’t broached the subject yet.

“I’d be happy to have her in my home. But you know what I think my baby needs?”

“What?”

“I think she needs a handsome man to steal her away for a week or two. Are you up for it? Money is no object.”

It’s exactly what she needs and exactly what I want. “No need. I can cover it. No worries there. You said she loves the mountains. I’ll take her up to a cabin where she can recover in peace. She needs it.”

“She does. Just make sure it’s a two-bedroom cabin, young man. You get my drift?” Oliver pats me on the back.

“I do,” I say, feeling like a sixteen-year-old boy promising to have his daughter back by midnight. I know Sydni’s not emotionally ready for more. “I’ll take good care of her.”

“I know you will.” He pauses. “Now Clara’s on her way over, and she’s madder than a murder hornet.”

“A what?”

“Trust me, it’s a thing. And Clara resembles one. I’m staying, and Penny’s on her way. Between the three of us, we can protect Sydni from her ‘loving mother.’ You with us?”

I have a few choice words I’d love to say to Clara Flanders, but I believe Sydni can fight her own battles. I’ll be there to speak up if it’s too much for her, though. “Absolutely.”

CLARA FLANDERS IS unprepared for Sydni to have her very own posse. When she walks into the room, she looks like she’s ready to explode. She deflates quickly, looking unsure.

“I wasn’t sure you’d want to see me, Sydni. That’s why I’ve stayed away.”

Emotional manipulation is this woman’s game. Both she and Hannah turned Sydni into their “victim” through comments of that nature.

“Of course I want to see you, Mom.”

“Oh,” she flutters, then pats Sydni on the foot. The foot!

I’m burning mad, and Clara’s only been here for one minute.

“Well, after what you did to Hannah, I just wasn’t sure you could face me.” Clara pulls out a tissue and pats her dry eyes. “I’ll probably never see my grandchildren again. I hope you’re proud of yourself.”

“What did I do to Hannah?” Sydni says, speaking louder than I’ve ever heard her speak.

“You…you put her in jail. You took her children away from her. I’m not sure how you can live with yourself,” Clara splutters.

Penny, Oliver, and I open our mouths to tell this woman off, but Sydni holds up one hand, stopping us.

“Did you know about Hannah and Cole? Hannah always told you everything. You knew, didn’t you?”

Clara has the decency to hesitate before she admits, “Of course I knew. Did you really think a sophisticated man like Cole would want a girl like you?” Clara scoffs. “You were so young.”

“No, Clara, no. Please say it isn’t true,” Oliver moans.

“Stay out of it, Oliver!” Clara shouts.

Sydni maintains her usual whisper-voice. “He said he loved me. He married me. He said he wanted to spend our lives together.”

“Oh, Sydni,” Clara shakes her head as if the idea is preposterous. “Hannah couldn’t destroy her marriage. She couldn’t take the girls’ father away from them. It would’ve been so hard on Emi and Bri. Can you imagine the pain they would feel from a broken family? It destroys children. So Hannah and Cole kept their relationship a secret.”

“Then why did he marry me?” Sydni asks.

“Hannah and Cole wanted to be together. Marrying you made him part of the family. They would be able to spend every Thanksgiving, every Christmas, every family celebration, every family vacation together without raising suspicion. It was a brilliant plan. Until you got pregnant, of course. No one expected that to happen. Hannah had a hard time with your pregnancy and all that it implied. She couldn’t handle it.”

Shock registers on Sydni’s face. It takes her a moment to compose herself. “Why? We were headed for divorce. Seems like the plan wasn’t so brilliant after all.”

“Oh, you would’ve worked it out. Especially after the baby was out of the way.” Clara waves her hand as though swatting a fly. “Everything would’ve gone back to normal.”

Clara has no idea what lengths Cole went to in order to end his marriage with Sydni. Obviously, Hannah wanted her out of the picture. Jealousy was probably driving her mad.

“So my pregnancy was an inconvenience, a hitch in their plan?” The hurt in Sydni’s voice nearly slays me.

“Goodness, you make it sound so sinister. Hannah was already expecting Lily. Liam thought the baby was his. Hannah and Cole didn’t want another child. Why would they? They simply wanted to be together without rocking the boat. It was obvious you were thrilled by Cole’s attention. You found him debonaire, charming. He was good to you. No one was hurt. No harm done. Everyone was happy.”

“Oh, Clara.” Oliver shakes his head in shame.

Sydni speaks up forcefully. “No, you’re wrong. Harm was done. I was hurt, Mom. I was terribly hurt.”

“Now, Sydni, don’t be dramatic.”

Sydni’s eyes widen with a fierce look. “You know what? You had one chance, Mom. Just one chance.”

A cold expression takes over Clara’s face as she hisses, “One chance for what? What are you talking about?”

Sydni shrugs. “It doesn’t matter. You blew it.”

“Blew it? I blew what? I’m here to see you. Isn’t that enough? Why is nothing ever enough for you?” Clara almost shouts, flustered.

“I lied. I don’t want to see you, Mom. Our relationship is over. Please leave.”

I’m so proud of Sydni, I want to applaud. I also wanted to add “Yeah!” to everything Sydni had said. Instead, I let her have her moment.

“I will not be told to leave by my own daughter. How dare you? Hannah didn’t ask me to leave when I visited her. She wanted my comfort.”

“She needs it,” Sydni says. “Give all your comfort to her. Why should life change just because she’s in prison?”

“You ungrateful little…” Clara starts, her voice several octaves too high for a hospital.

I nod at Security, who’s waiting at the door for my command.

“Ma’am, you’ve been asked to leave. I’ll escort you out.”

Clara doesn’t leave quietly. We can hear her screaming as she’s escorted down the hallway. It’s only quiet when the elevator doors close.

All three of us reach out to comfort Sydni, offering support.

There’s no happiness on Sydni’s face. Instead, she lets out her breath deeply, her expression a mask of sorrow.

Victory can sometimes be cleverly disguised as defeat.