The Vacation My Daughter Wasn't Supposed to Take

I didn't open Vanessa's email.

I wanted to.

Every angry part of me wanted answers immediately.

But I wasn't going to become the person she could accuse of invading accounts and stealing information.

Instead, I took a picture of the notification with my own phone.

Then I closed her laptop.

The next morning, I called the attorney who had handled Rachel's estate.

Her name was Miriam Feld.

She remembered Ava.

"I haven't seen her since she was tiny," Miriam said.

"Is everything all right?"

"I need to ask about Ava's trust."

There was a pause.

"What about it?"

"Can Vanessa access it?"

"No."

Relief came too quickly.

"Could she?"

"Not without a court order or specific trustee authorization. You're the current custodian for distributions until Ava reaches the age stated in the trust."

"Has anyone asked about accessing it?"

Another pause.

"Darren, why don't you come in?"

I was at her office forty minutes later.

Miriam placed a folder on the desk.

"Your wife called me six months ago."

My skin prickled.

"What did she want?"

"She asked whether educational expenses could be reimbursed from Ava's trust."

"What educational expenses?"

"Private school."

Ava attended public school.

I stared at her.

Miriam continued.

"I told Vanessa I couldn't discuss the trust with her."

"Did she say why she was asking?"

"She said you were considering sending Ava to boarding school."

I felt the room tilt.

"No."

Miriam watched me carefully.

"We've never discussed boarding school."

"Then I'm glad I didn't provide anything."

I thought about the email.

Stepchild assets.

"She contacted a family lawyer."

Miriam's expression tightened.

"Then you should contact one too."

I hated how quickly our marriage had turned into words like lawyer and assets.

But I hated even more that Vanessa had apparently been planning something involving my daughter without me.

When I returned home, Caleb was at his aunt's house.

Ava was in the kitchen eating cereal.

"Where were you?"

"Talking to Ms. Feld."

She knew the name.

"Mom's lawyer?"

"Your mom's old lawyer."

Ava lowered her spoon.

"Am I in trouble?"

"No."

"Then why did you go?"

I sat across from her.

"Has Vanessa ever talked to you about boarding school?"

Her spoon hit the bowl.

That was my answer.

"When?"

I asked.

"Last month."

"What did she say?"

Ava looked toward the doorway.

"She showed me a school."

"What school?"

"I don't remember."

"Try."

"Somewhere in Virginia."

My throat tightened.

We lived in North Carolina.

"What did she tell you?"

Ava rubbed her thumb over the table.

"She said it could be good for me to have a fresh start."

"A fresh start from what?"

"Being sad."

I almost laughed from pure disbelief.

"She said you were worried I wasn't making enough friends."

"You have friends."

"I know."

"What else?"

"She said if I loved you, I wouldn't make you feel guilty for wanting a life."

I pushed away from the table.

Ava flinched.

I closed my eyes.

"Sorry."

"You're mad."

"Not at you."

She nodded.

"I know that now."

Those words mattered.

Not enough.

But they mattered.

At noon, Vanessa came home.

Caleb was with her.

His face looked exhausted.

Vanessa walked in carrying coffee as if nothing had happened.

"We need to talk."

"Yes."

She noticed Ava.

"Privately."

I looked at my daughter.

"You can stay."

Vanessa laughed.

"You're seriously involving her in adult conversations now?"

"Considering you've been discussing boarding school with her, I think that ship sailed."

Her coffee stopped halfway to her mouth.

Caleb looked between us.

"What boarding school?"

Vanessa set the cup down.

"Darren."

"No. Explain it."

She looked at Ava.

"Ava, go upstairs."

Ava stayed seated.

I said, "She doesn't have to."

Vanessa's face tightened.

"I looked at options. That's all."

"For my daughter?"

"For our family."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I knew you'd react exactly like this."

"Six months ago you called the attorney handling Ava's trust."

Caleb whispered, "Mom?"

Vanessa looked at me sharply.

"How do you know that?"

"Miriam told me."

"She discussed my phone call with you?"

"About my daughter's trust? Yes."

Vanessa folded her arms.

"I wanted to know whether the trust could pay tuition."

"Tuition for a school I never agreed to."

"I was gathering information."

"For what?"

"Because this house revolves around Ava!"

Ava's face went blank.

I stood.

"Stop."

But Vanessa had lost control.

"Every holiday, every decision, every dollar gets filtered through what Ava might feel because her mother died."

Caleb stared at her.

"Mom, that's messed up."

"Stay out of it."

"No."

Vanessa turned on him.

"What?"

"You keep saying everything is about Ava, but you're the one making everything about Ava."

She stared at him.

Caleb continued.

"You bought me stuff and then told me not to tell Dad."

"Caleb."

"You told me she didn't want to come on vacation."

"I was protecting you."

"From what?"

Vanessa had no answer.

Then Ava spoke.

Softly.

"From me."

Everyone turned.

Ava's eyes were fixed on Vanessa.

"You wanted Caleb to think I didn't want to be part of the family."

Vanessa's anger disappeared.

"Ava, no."

"Yes."

"I never wanted that."

"Then why did you keep telling me not to make Dad choose?"

Vanessa looked at me.

"Darren, this is becoming cruel."

I couldn't believe it.

"Cruel to who?"

"To me."

Caleb actually laughed.

Vanessa snapped, "Go to your room."

"No."

Her hand hit the counter.

"Caleb!"

He jumped.

Then something in him broke.

"You want to know what else I know?"

Vanessa froze.

Caleb ran upstairs.

She followed.

I moved after her.

"Leave him alone."

But Caleb was already returning.

He held his tablet.

"I saw this when Mom used my email because her storage was full."

Vanessa's face went white.

"Give me that."

She reached for it.

Caleb stepped back.

"No."

I took the tablet.

There was a forwarded message.

Vanessa had sent it to her sister months earlier.

Most of it was ordinary.

Vacation plans.

Complaints about money.

Then I saw one paragraph.

If Florida goes well without Ava, Darren might finally understand how much easier things are when it's just the three of us. Then I'll bring up the school again.

I read it twice.

Ava was behind me.

I turned the screen away too late.

She had seen my face.

"What does it say?"

Vanessa whispered, "Don't."

I looked at my wife.

The woman I had trusted beside my daughter for five years.

Then I handed the tablet to Ava.

She deserved the truth.

Her eyes moved across the message.

Slowly.