“I have not seen him since the middle of winter,” Adam said, his voice dropping. “He only calls when he wants to ask if Mom is still working her late-night accounting jobs.”
Ruth looked at the cold pasta on her plate. “He told us he was living at the cabin to save money on the utility bills while the Cincinnati house was being painted.”
“He is living apart to hide that he walked out on his family eight months ago,” Lauren said, her voice steady and clear. “He did not want you or Walter to know that he abandoned the children.”
Ruth’s gaze remained fixed on the table, her breath coming in shallow, quick intervals. She looked at the cheap plastic forks, the generic paper napkins, and the half-empty carton of store-brand milk sitting on the table.
“He told us his career was at a critical juncture,” Ruth whispered, her voice shaking slightly. “He said he was doing all of this to secure the children’s trust funds.”
