Chapter 7: The Condo She Bought in Secret

For several seconds, I couldn’t speak.

A condominium.

In Fort Lauderdale.

Purchased in Holly’s name while her husband was supposedly struggling to keep his business alive.

I gripped the edge of the kitchen table and looked at the suitcase waiting beside the door.

“Mr. Bell,” I said, forcing my voice to remain steady, “are you certain the payment came from Robert’s company?””

“Yes, ma’am. I have the transaction records.””

“And you’re certain it was a deposit on the condominium?””

“The payment description refers to a property deposit. I haven’t seen every document associated with the purchase, so I can’t tell you who ultimately funded the entire transaction. But I can confirm that money from your son’s company was transferred to the account used for the deposit.””

I closed my eyes.

“Does Robert know?””

“Not that I’m aware of.””

“Then you need to give him those records directly.””

“I intend to.””

“Why didn’t you tell him before?””

Mr. Bell hesitated.

“I work with Sterling Lifestyle Consulting. I don’t control your son’s business accounts. I can only provide information from the records available to me.””

I understood that.

I also understood that I had to be careful. I had spent too many years allowing fear to turn uncertainty into excuses, and I wasn’t going to make the opposite mistake by turning suspicions into accusations.

“Thank you for calling,” I said.

“Please preserve the documents and send them to Robert and his attorney.””

“I will.””

After the call ended, I remained at the table until the coffee in my mug went cold.

Three payments.

Fourteen thousand dollars.

Nine thousand five hundred dollars.

Thirty-two thousand dollars.

Fifty-five thousand five hundred dollars.

And my son had called me at two in the morning, begging me for fifty thousand dollars to save his family.

I looked toward the photo album.

On its cover was a small picture of Robert at six, sitting on my shoulders beneath the magnolia tree. His arms were wrapped around my head, and he was laughing so hard that his eyes had nearly disappeared.

I had spent weeks choosing those photographs for Ethan.

Now I wondered whether I had been trying to give my grandson something his father had already lost.

The truth about himself.

I closed the album and finished packing.

By late afternoon, I was in Miami.

Robert met me outside the airport terminal. He wore a wrinkled shirt, and the dark circles beneath his eyes made him look older than thirty.

For a moment, we simply stared at each other.

Then he stepped forward and took my suitcase.

“Hi, Mom.””

“Hello, Robert.””

He looked as though he wanted to hug me.

I wanted to hug him, too.

But the memory of the closed birthday door stood between us.

He finally said, “Thank you for coming.””

I nodded.

“Let’s find out what’s happening.””

During the drive to his house, Robert kept both hands on the steering wheel. Traffic moved slowly beneath the bright Florida sun, and the palm trees along the road cast narrow shadows over the pavement.

After several minutes, he spoke.

“I haven’t told Holly about the condominium.””

“Why not?””

“Because I wanted to see the documents first.””

“That makes sense.””

He glanced at me.

“Are you angry?””

I looked out the window.

“Yes.””

His fingers tightened around the wheel.

“At me?””

“At what happened. At the way I was treated. At the possibility that money intended for your business may have been used for something else.””

He swallowed.

“I understand.””

“Do you?””

He didn’t answer immediately.

Then he said, “I didn’t understand at the birthday party. I thought if I kept Holly happy, everything would be fine.””

“And was it?””

“No.””

The answer came without hesitation.

I turned toward him.

He kept his eyes on the road.

“I watched you walk away, Mom. I wanted to follow you. I even took a step toward the door after it closed.””

“Why didn’t you?””

“Because Holly started crying. She said I’d humiliated her in front of everyone by letting you come. She said if I followed you, I’d be choosing you over my wife.””

I felt the old hurt rise again.

“And you chose her.””

“Yes.””

He said it quietly.

“I chose the easiest thing in that moment. I thought you’d forgive me because you always had.””

I looked down at my hands.

There it was.

Not an explanation.

An admission.

“Robert, I love you. But you cannot keep asking me to absorb the consequences of your choices simply because you believe I always will.””

“I know.””

“Then show me.””

We arrived at the house shortly after five.