Chapter 4: The Question She Asked Mia
For several seconds, Derrick couldn't hear anything except the air-conditioning humming above his head.
He looked down at Mia.
“What did you say, baby?””
Mia rubbed her cheek against his dark polo shirt. Her pink dress was wrinkled, and a small patch of dust stained one knee.
“Auntie Vanessa asked me yesterday if I wanted to go on a trip without you,” she whispered.
“She said it would be a surprise.””
Vanessa's phone slipped slightly in her hand.
“Mia, sweetheart, that's not what I said.””
Derrick raised his eyes.
“Don't call her sweetheart right now.””
Vanessa stared at him as though he'd slapped her.
“Excuse me?””
“You heard me.””
Mia tightened her fingers around his hand.
Derrick softened his voice again.
“Tell me exactly what happened, princess. You aren't in trouble.””
The little girl glanced at Vanessa before answering.
“We were in the hotel room. You were downstairs talking to Uncle Marcus about the van. Auntie Vanessa was packing her suitcase.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“This is ridiculous.””
Derrick didn't look at her.
“Keep going, baby.””
“She asked me if I wanted to see a special place. She said there would be a big surprise if I was a good girl.””
Rochelle leaned forward.
“What kind of surprise, Mia?””
Mia's bottom lip trembled.
“She said I might get to see Mommy.””
Derrick went still.
Angela had been dead for three years.
Mia was only six when her mother died, but she still slept with a small photograph of them together tucked inside her pillowcase. Sometimes she asked questions about heaven. Sometimes she cried because she couldn't remember the sound of her mother's laugh.
Derrick had learned never to promise something he couldn't deliver.
He looked at Vanessa.
“What did you tell her?””
Vanessa's expression tightened.
“I told her that someday, when she was older, we'd talk about visiting places her mother loved.””
“You told a six-year-old she might get to see her dead mother?””
“I never said that!””
Mia began crying again.
“You said Mommy was waiting.””
The words came out in a whisper.
Derrick closed his eyes for one painful moment.
Then he pulled Mia against his chest.
“Listen to me, baby. Nobody should have told you that. Your mommy loved you very much, and nothing will ever change that. But nobody can take you to see her like that.””
Mia nodded against him.
“Did I do something bad?””
“No.”” His voice broke.
“You did absolutely nothing wrong.””
Across the aisle, Rochelle wiped her eyes.
Vanessa stood beside the open door, her beige outfit immaculate despite the chaos around her.
“You're twisting everything,” she said.
“I was trying to comfort her.””
Derrick looked up.
“Then why did you ask whether she wanted to travel without me?””
Vanessa folded her arms.
“Because you never let me do anything with her without treating me like a criminal.””
“You could have asked me.””
“You would have said no.””
“Then you should have respected that.””
Vanessa let out a sharp breath and stepped onto the pavement.
“I'm done with this conversation.””
Derrick handed Mia to Rochelle for a moment and climbed out after her.
He didn't shout. He didn't need to.
“Where were you planning to take her?””
Vanessa glanced toward the resort's glass entrance.
“I wasn't planning to take her anywhere.””
“Your own words were that she might get to see her mother.””
“I was talking about a memorial garden!””
“What memorial garden?””
Vanessa hesitated.
Derrick noticed.
“You don't know the name, do you?””
“I don't have to explain every private conversation to you.””
“You do when my granddaughter is involved.””
Vanessa's phone rang again.
She looked at the screen and rejected the call.
A text appeared immediately.
Derrick couldn't read the entire message from where he stood, but he caught the opening words.
She told him, didn't she?
Vanessa quickly turned the screen facedown.
“Who's texting you?””
“Nobody you need to know.””
“That's twice you've said that. Both times, someone has contacted you about a trip you claim doesn't mean anything.””
Vanessa stepped closer.
“You're making a terrible mistake, Derrick.””
“Maybe. But I'm not making it with Mia in the middle of it.””
He returned to the van and asked Rochelle to keep the little girl with her. Then he took several photographs of the travel confirmation and the passport, leaving the original documents untouched.
He called his attorney.
“Patricia, I need you to help me document something. My wife booked a one-way flight for tomorrow, and there's a second passenger connected to the reservation. I also have reason to believe my granddaughter was promised something involving her deceased mother.””
He listened.
“No, I haven't accused anyone of a crime. I want the facts before I make any decisions.””
Vanessa watched him from beside the vehicle.
When he ended the call, she approached him with a forced calmness.
“You're involving lawyers now?””
“I'm involving someone who can help me protect Mia and understand what's happening.””
“You're going to regret humiliating me like this.””
Derrick looked at her for a long moment.
“I'm more worried about what you've been telling a six-year-old when nobody else was around.””
For the first time, Vanessa looked genuinely afraid.
Not angry.
Not offended.
Afraid.
Her gaze drifted toward Mia, who sat against Rochelle with her little hands wrapped around a bottle of water.
Then Vanessa's phone vibrated again.
She read the message.
Her lips moved silently as she scanned the words.
Derrick held out his hand.
“Let me see it.””
Vanessa backed away.
“No.””
“Then read it aloud.””
She clutched the phone against her chest.
“Camille says we need to leave before tomorrow morning,” she whispered.
Derrick stared at her.
“Leave where?””
Vanessa's eyes filled.
“I can't tell you.””
“Why not?””
She looked past him, toward the resort entrance.
“Because if I tell you, you'll understand why I had to make sure Mia wasn't in that van when we left.””
Derrick felt the blood drain from his face.
Behind him, Mia whispered, “Grandpa?””
He turned immediately.
Vanessa took one step backward.
And before Derrick could ask another question, a black luxury SUV turned into the resort driveway and stopped directly behind the family van.
A woman in a white linen suit stepped out, holding a thick envelope.
She looked straight at Vanessa.
May you like
“Mrs. Mitchell,” she called.
“We need to discuss the child.””
