Chapter 7 - The House Exhales
The front door had barely clicked shut behind Diane before the whole house seemed to breathe out for the first time in weeks.
Milo stood at the bottom of the stairs, the doll in the yellow dress still clutched to his chest, staring at the empty hallway.
"Is she really gone?" he whispered.
"She's gone, baby," I said.
He looked over at Adam, like he needed to hear it from the one who had almost said yes to her.
Adam crossed the kitchen and knelt down so he was eye level with his son.
"She's gone. And you didn't do anything wrong. Nothing, you hear me?"
Milo's chin wobbled. "But you almost said yes to her."
Adam's face fell. "I did. For a second, I let her make me scared of standing up to her again. I'm sorry, buddy. That's on me."
Milo looked down at the doll in his arms. "I thought you'd be mad at me."
"Never," I said.
Adam reached out and touched the little blue coat still folded in Milo's pocket.
"This is really good work," he said. "I should've told you that a long time ago."
Milo looked up, surprised. "You mean it?"
May you like
"I mean it. Next one you make, I want to see it first."
For the first time all day, Milo smiled.
