“You told me you didn’t have children.”
“I told you I didn’t know of any children,” he replied. “There’s a difference.”
I looked back at him.
“What does that even mean?”
“Please, Allison. Let us come inside. I’ll explain everything.”
I wanted to refuse.
I wanted to shut the window, lock the door, and never hear his voice again.
But the girl looked frightened, and something in her expression was painfully familiar. She wasn’t standing beside Mark like a woman celebrating an engagement. She looked like someone who had nowhere else to go.
I took a deep breath.
Then I went downstairs and opened the front door.
Mark stepped inside first, carrying what remained of his belongings. The girl followed him, clutching the jacket against her chest.
For several seconds, none of us spoke.
I folded my arms.
“Start talking.”
Mark nodded slowly.
“Her name is Julia.”
Julia looked down at the floor.
