Chapter 4 - The Empty Chair
Evelyn watched the elevator doors close in front of Claire and Noah.
Sophie was holding her hand.
The little girl looked up.
“Why aren’t we going?”
“In a minute.”
“But Mommy went.”
“I know.”
“Is Daddy here?”
“Not yet.”
Evelyn crouched.
“Sweetheart, sit right there.”
She pointed toward a row of chairs near the elevator.
“Don’t move.”
Sophie frowned.
“Why?”
“Because Grandma needs to make a phone call.”
“You’re already on the phone.”
Evelyn almost smiled.
“Exactly.”
Sophie sat.
Evelyn stepped several feet away.
“Officer, you said there was something I needed to know.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Your son-in-law, Benjamin Carter, was involved in a collision six days ago.”
“He told us that.”
“There’s more.”
Evelyn watched Sophie swing her feet beneath the chair.
“What more?”
“The other vehicle crossed the center line.”
“Mr. Carter’s rental car was struck on the driver’s side.”
Evelyn’s stomach tightened.
“Was anyone killed?”
“No.”
“Thank God.”
“But Mr. Carter was unconscious when emergency crews arrived.”
Evelyn lowered her voice.
“He said he woke up the next day.”
“That’s correct.”
“He also said his phone and wallet were missing.”
“There were personal items scattered from the vehicle.”
“Some were recovered later.”
“His phone wasn’t among them.”
“So what do you need from me?”
“We found something else.”
“What?”
“A small gift bag.”
Evelyn frowned.
“What kind of gift?”
“A child’s gift.”
“A stuffed rabbit.”
“A pink sweatshirt.”
“And a card.”
Evelyn looked at Sophie.
The girl had a stuffed rabbit at home.
She loved rabbits.
“What did the card say?”
The officer hesitated.
“Mrs. Bennett, I don’t usually read personal notes.”
“But this one was damaged and opened during evidence processing.”
“What did it say?”
“It said, ‘To my Soph, from Dad.’”
Evelyn closed her eyes.
Ben had been bringing Sophie a gift.
He had been coming home.
Really coming home.
The anger she had carried for six days suddenly felt heavier.
“Where is the bag?”
“At our property office.”
“I can give Mr. Carter instructions to collect it.”
“Fine.”
“One more thing.”
Evelyn waited.
“There was another card.”
“For Claire?”
“Yes.”
“What did it say?”
“That one remained sealed.”
“I don’t know.”
Evelyn looked toward the hospital entrance.
A man in a dark jacket stepped through the doors.
Tall.
Unshaven.
Bandage at his temple.
Ben.
Even from across the lobby, Evelyn recognized him.
He scanned the room frantically.
Then he saw Sophie.
Sophie saw him.
Her entire body changed.
“Daddy!”
She jumped from the chair and ran.
Ben dropped the duffel bag in his hand.
He knelt just in time.
Sophie crashed into him.
He held her with both arms and closed his eyes.
Evelyn watched his shoulders shake.
“I missed you.”
Sophie clung to his neck.
“You were gone forever.”
“I know.”
“Mommy thought you weren’t coming.”
“I know.”
“Grandma was mad at you.”
Ben opened his eyes.
He looked directly at Evelyn.
“I know.”
Evelyn ended the call.
Ben stood slowly with Sophie in his arms.
He looked thinner.
Tired.
Bruised.
Nothing like the careless man she had imagined.
“Where’s Claire?”
“She went with Noah.”
His face changed at the name.
“Noah?”
“Your son.”
Ben swallowed.
“Noah.”
“That’s his name?”
“Yes.”
Ben repeated it.
“Noah.”
Sophie touched his bandage.
“Did you get hurt?”
“A little.”
“Did you cry?”
Ben looked at Evelyn.
“Yes.”
Sophie nodded.
“Mommy cries too.”
Ben lowered her carefully.
“Where did they take him?”
“Children’s Medical Center.”
“I’ll drive.”
“No.”
Ben frowned.
“You just got out of a hospital after a highway collision.”
“I can drive.”
“You can ride with us.”
He did not argue.
That surprised Evelyn.
They reached the parking garage.
Sophie climbed into the back seat.
Ben sat beside her rather than in front.
Evelyn noticed.
During the drive, Sophie talked almost nonstop.
She told Ben that Noah was tiny.
That he had tubes.
That Mommy slept in chairs now.
That Grandma bought terrible vending machine sandwiches.
Evelyn objected.
“They were fine.”
Sophie ignored her.
“And Noah knows my voice.”
Ben looked at her.
“How do you know?”
“Grandma said maybe.”
Evelyn glanced in the mirror.
“I said he may recognize voices.”
Sophie leaned closer to Ben.
“So when you see him, talk.”
Ben nodded.
“What should I say?”
“Something true.”
Evelyn’s hands tightened around the steering wheel.
Sophie had no idea how deeply that sentence landed.
At the new hospital, Claire was standing in the hallway outside the NICU.
She saw them through the glass doors.
Her eyes went immediately to Ben.
She froze.
Ben stopped walking.
For several seconds, neither moved.
Sophie whispered.
“Go.”
Ben stepped forward.
Claire’s face trembled.
“You came.”
“I said I would.”
“Six days late.”
“I know.”
“I thought you changed your mind.”
“I didn’t.”
“I thought you left us.”
“I didn’t.”
Claire looked at the bandage on his head.
“I didn’t know.”
“I tried.”
“I know that now.”
Ben stepped closer.
Claire shook her head.
“Not here.”
He stopped.
She looked through the glass.
“Noah is in there.”
Ben followed her gaze.
A nurse moved around the new incubator.
His son was almost hidden beneath blankets and equipment.
Ben’s face collapsed.
“That’s him?”
Claire nodded.
Ben approached the glass window.
He placed his palm against it.
Sophie stepped beside him.
“Talk.”
Ben looked at his daughter.
Then at Noah.
His voice was barely audible.
“Hey, buddy.”
He swallowed.
“I’m your dad.”
Claire covered her mouth.
Ben continued.
“I’m late.”
“But I’m here.”
The nurse inside looked at the monitor.
Then quickly looked toward another nurse.
Claire noticed.
“What is it?”
The second nurse moved toward Noah.
Claire rushed to the door.
A warning tone began.
“Mom?”
Sophie grabbed Evelyn’s hand.
Ben turned.
The NICU doors opened.
A nurse stepped out.
“Claire, we need you to stay outside for a moment.”
Claire’s face drained of color.
“What’s happening?”
The nurse spoke calmly.
“His oxygen level dropped.”
Ben took Claire’s hand.
She did not pull away.
Inside the room, more staff gathered around Noah.
Sophie looked at the empty chair beside the window.
May you like
Then at her family.
For the first time since Ben arrived, no one knew what to say.
