When Family Became a Place I Couldn’t Return To novel Chapter 56

“Since Nelly’s already made her decision, you don’t need to keep forcing yourself to stay with her…”

Sheila had a point. If Nelly was willing to walk away from her own daughter, what was left for him to worry about? Still, every time he thought about the divorce, Brody had this uncomfortable knot in his chest that he just couldn’t shake.

“Don’t cry. Give me a little more time. I’ll figure this out.”

Sheila’s tears always got to him. His voice softened as he tried to comfort her. He stayed with her until she finally stopped crying, then made sure she got home safely.

*

By the time Brody got back home, it was already late. He peeked into Carrie’s room. She was asleep, but she didn’t look peaceful at all. Her brow was furrowed, and she mumbled to herself like she was lost in some troubling dream.

She was hugging the stuffed animal Sheila gave her, and there was a comic from Sheila on her nightstand. Brody wondered if Carrie would actually feel lighter now that Nelly wasn’t around.

He remembered what Carrie had said before, and his heart twisted. Kids need their moms. He wanted Carrie to have the best. But with the way things were between him and Nelly, he knew Carrie would end up disappointed.

…

The next morning, as soon as Brody walked into his office, Alan showed up with a gift from the event organizers.

“They said it’s to make up for what happened at the auction last night,” Alan explained.

Brody didn’t even look at it. “Just throw it out.”

“But sir, it looks like jewelry. It seems really expensive…” Alan hesitated.

The box was clearly high-end, the kind you’d see in fancy jewelry stores. The person who delivered it kept saying it was worth hundreds of thousands.

“Jewelry?” Brody frowned. The organizers were generous, but this was over the top.

He held out his hand, and Alan placed the box in his palm. Before he could open it, Brody’s phone rang. He answered the call and just left the box on the corner of his desk, not thinking twice about it.

That evening, in a quiet private dining room, Nelly sat nervously, fidgeting with her fingers. She was about to meet Jonah’s father, Felix. Jonah had told her Felix looked the most like her dad, Christopher.

She’d only ever seen Christopher in news photos. Now she was about to meet someone who looked just like him in real life. Even though she kept telling herself they were just strangers with some shared blood, her heart wouldn’t settle down.

“His flight’s delayed. He’ll be here soon,” Jonah said, coming in to find Nelly sitting there, head down.

“It’s fine,” Nelly replied with a small, forced smile, sipping on her juice.

“Are you nervous?” Jonah sat down beside her, noticing her fingers trembling just a little. The first time they met, she’d been so fierce, like nothing could scare her.

“I’m not nervous,” Nelly tried to act calm, but then she didn’t say another word. The quieter she got, the more obvious her nerves were.

Jonah smiled to himself and out of nowhere asked, “Were you this nervous when you met me?”

“Huh?” Nelly blinked, caught off guard.

“Maybe,” Jonah said with a straight face.

Nelly didn’t notice the glint in his eyes. “But I think they’ll really like it.”

After dropping Nelly off last night, Jonah had gone back to the event. Just selling her wedding ring felt too boring—a waste, even. When he saw Brody with another woman, he came up with a new idea. He had the organizers deliver the diamond ring to Brody as a gift. The organizers were happy to play along.

Brody probably had it by now. Would he recognize it, seeing the wedding ring he once gave away land right back in his hands?

“Sorry I’m late.”

The door opened and a waiter pushed in a man in a wheelchair. Felix had arrived.

He wore a gray wool coat. He looked young, though his hair was almost completely white. Time had left its marks on his face, but his expression was gentle and kind.

Nelly stood up without thinking. Felix really did look like Christopher. Same sharp features, same eyes and brows.

He smiled at her, and Nelly felt a wave of emotion crash through her. Christopher always looked cold and serious in the news, never smiling. She wondered if he ever smiled like this in private.

The thought made her want to laugh. Even if he did, he would never have smiled at her. Christopher had despised her and her mother until the day he died.

“Father,” Jonah said, standing to take over the wheelchair and moving Felix to the table.

Once the room was empty, Felix finally turned to Nelly. “You look more like your mother. Such beautiful features.”