“Can I… can I say hello?”
I hesitated. I held all the cards now. I could crush her, just like she had tried to crush me. I could banish her forever.
But I looked at my daughter, full of light and innocence. I didn’t want to teach her cruelty. I wanted to teach her strength.
“Five minutes,” I said. “And Catherine? If you ever say a single negative word about me or my family in her presence, you will never see her again.”
“I promise,” she sobbed. “Thank you.”
She hobbled up the steps and sat on the swing, holding out a stuffed bear to Ashley. Ashley took it, smiling that wide, gummy smile that looked just like Mitchell’s.
Mia came out the screen door, handing me a glass of lemonade. She watched Catherine playing with Ashley.
“You’re a better person than I am,” Mia said. “I would have turned the sprinklers on.”
“It’s not for her,” I said, taking a sip. “It’s for Ashley. And honestly? Watching Catherine beg is a punishment all its own.”
My phone buzzed. A text from Rachel.
