“I'll be here.”
For the next half hour, he sat on a bench outside the supermarket manager's office.
Chloe stayed with Sarah while officers took statements.
Gary was escorted outside.
As he passed, he looked at Marcus but said nothing.
Marcus was grateful.
He wasn't certain what he would have done if the man had spoken Evan's name again.
Eventually, Sarah emerged.
Chloe held her hand.
A female officer walked beside them.
“We're arranging for an advocate to follow up with Ms. Bennett,” the officer explained. “Mr. Weller will not be leaving with them.”
Marcus nodded.
Sarah looked exhausted.
“Can we talk?”
Marcus glanced toward Chloe.
Sarah understood.
“She knows some of it.”
“Some of what?”
Sarah's gaze dropped.
“That you're Evan's father.”
Marcus felt as if someone had tightened a belt around his chest.
“And Evan was…”
She looked at Chloe.
Chloe answered for her.
“My daddy.”
There it was.
Two words.
Not shouted.
Not dramatic.
Spoken with a child's simple certainty.
Marcus sat down again.
He needed to.
Chloe watched him carefully.
“You okay?”
It was such an absurd question coming from a child who had just endured the worst morning of her life that Marcus almost laughed.
Instead his eyes filled.
He turned his face away.
“Yeah.”
Sarah sat across from him.
“No, you're not.”
Marcus looked at her.
“How old is she?”
“Seven.”
He did the arithmetic even though he didn't need to.
“Evan knew?”
Sarah's face folded with pain.
“Yes.”
Marcus stared at her.
The fluorescent hum returned.
The supermarket carts rattled outside.
Somewhere near the registers, a toddler cried because his mother wouldn't buy him candy.
Normal life continued while Marcus's understanding of his own family shattered and rearranged itself.
“You had seven years,” he said.
Sarah flinched.
Marcus immediately regretted the accusation in his voice.
“I'm sorry.”
“No.” She shook her head. “You have every right to ask.”
“Then why?”
Chloe sat beside Sarah, leaning against her.
Sarah chose her words carefully.