Evan’s story made sense, but it depended on trust. And right then, I didn’t have enough of it.
By morning, I’d made up my mind.
If Claire and that child were real, I was going to find them.
But I didn’t tell Evan.
“I need time.”
I started with what I had: names, dates, anything tied to Ryan. I searched records, social media, and anything that might lead somewhere.
Days turned into weeks as I worked in silence, waiting until Evan and Lily were asleep before opening my laptop again.
Still nothing.
That’s when I realized I needed help.
There was only one person I trusted: Martin. He’d known my dad for years and worked as a private investigator. He is careful, patient, the kind of person who doesn’t miss details.
I started with what I had.
“I need you to find someone,” I told Martin over the phone.
He didn’t ask many questions, just told me to send whatever I had.
I did as he asked, and then I waited.
Two weeks later, my phone rang.
“I found her,” Martin said.
My heart skipped. “Claire?! She’s… she’s real?”
“Yeah. And the kid, Maya. She’s a teenager now.”
I sat down. “Where?”
“Different state. One flight.”
“I need you to find someone.”
I closed my eyes for a second. “Can you talk to her about everything? Just tell her the truth. Ask if she’d be willing to talk to me.”
There was a pause.
“I’ll try.”
Three days later, my phone rang again, but this time the number was unknown.
I hesitated, then answered. “Hello?”
A woman’s voice came through. “Is this Taylor?”
“Yes.”
“This is Claire.”
I dropped to my knees in shock, hand over my mouth, tears falling involuntarily.
“Just tell her the truth.”
“I spoke to Martin. He told me everything. I just need to know… is it true that Evan has been looking for us?”
“Yes, it is,” I managed to choke out, guilt enveloping me.
There was a long pause, then she exhaled.
“After losing Ryan, I wasn’t in a place where I could deal with any of it. I thought being far away and cut off from everyone would give me the time and space to gather my thoughts and feelings. And it did. But then I’d been gone so long, I didn’t know how to uproot everyone’s lives by coming back.”
“He told me everything.”
Something inside me finally settled. I had no more doubt. I should’ve trusted my husband.
“I’m sorry for everything you went through,” I whispered.
Claire hesitated. “Thank you, but what happens now?”
Now, we fix it.
“I have an idea,” I said.
And for the first time since that Tuesday, I felt as if I could breathe again.
I didn’t tell Evan right away.
Claire and I spoke the next evening again, this time for longer.
“I have an idea.”
She told me about Maya, who was 15. The teenager was quiet, she said, but strong in ways she hadn’t been at that age. They’d moved twice over the years, not running, just trying to build something stable.
“I didn’t want reminders,” Claire admitted. “Back then, everything felt as if it were breaking all over again.”
I understood more than I wanted to.
We talked about Evan, Ryan, and the promise that was never fulfilled.
By the end of the call, there was only one thing left to figure out.
“I didn’t want reminders.”
“How do we do this?” Claire asked.
I looked around my kitchen. Evan was in the living room with Lily, helping her with homework.
“I have something in mind if you are keen.”
“I am.”
That weekend, I brought it up with Evan.
“I was thinking… maybe we should have people over,” I said casually. “I think it will help get your mind off things since you haven’t been yourself lately.”
He looked at me, confused. “Like a party?”
“Nothing big. Just close family and friends. I’ll organize everything.”
“How do we do this?”
My husband hesitated. I could see it: the weight of everything still sitting on him.
“I don’t know if I’m really in the mood for that.”
“I know,” I replied gently. “That’s kind of the point.”
Then he nodded. “Okay. If you think it’ll help.”
The next few days moved fast.
I called people, kept it simple, and asked them not to share anything with Evan.
At the same time, I stayed in touch with Claire. We worked out the details.
“Okay. If you think it’ll help.”
Evan didn’t notice anything unusual, or if he did, he didn’t say it.
Lily was just excited about having people over.
“Can I help decorate?” she asked.
“Of course,” I smiled.
She spent the afternoon setting up small things around the house. Balloons, a few streamers. Nothing over the top.
The day of the party, Evan stayed mostly quiet. He greeted people, smiled when he needed to, but I could tell his mind wasn’t in it. At one point, he pulled me aside.
“You sure about this?”
I held his hand. “Trust me.”
He nodded, but I could see he didn’t fully understand.
Evan stayed mostly quiet.
By evening, everyone had arrived.