The first call came two days after the court hearing. Kassie was in the middle of giving Emma lunch when her phone rang, Daniel’s name appearing on the screen like a ghost from another life.
She stared at it for three rings before answering, Emma babbling happily in her high chair, completely oblivious to the tension that had suddenly filled the room.
“Hello?”
“Hi.” Daniel’s voice was hesitant, uncertain. “I hope it’s okay that I’m calling. I know we said goodbye at the courthouse, but I… I’ve been thinking.”
Kassie set down the spoon she’d been using to feed Emma and leaned against the kitchen counter. “Thinking about what?”
“About everything I said in there. About what I didn’t say.” He paused, and she could hear traffic in the background, as if he were calling from his truck during
