I pressed my face into her shoulder.
She smelled like rain and lavender hand cream.
“I am sorry,” I whispered.
Her arms tightened.
“No.”
“I should have told you.”
“No.”
“I lied.”
“You survived.”
The words broke something open.
I cried harder.
My mother stroked the back of my hair.
“You survived,” she repeated.
Liam turned away.
Even Ruiz looked toward the window.
For several minutes, there were no ledgers.
No hidden accounts.
No forged signatures.
Just my mother’s arms around me.
When I finally pulled back, her eyes were red.
She touched my cheek without going near the bruising.
“I knew something was wrong.”
I laughed weakly through tears.
“Apparently everyone did.”
“No.”
Her voice became firm.
“We noticed pieces. You were living the whole truth.”
I looked at Liam.
He looked down.
My mother followed my gaze.
“What happened between you two?”
“Later,” Liam said.
She studied him.
