Chapter 6
The silver crescent hadn't been used openly in eleven years.
My father hated it.
Too theatrical.
Too tribal.
He believed men who needed symbols usually lacked discipline.
Victor loved symbols.
That should have told me something earlier.
I placed the pin on the table.
“How many?”
Victor shrugged.
“How many what?”
“Men.”
“I don't know what you're talking about.”
I looked at Mother.
She smiled faintly.
“Daniel, you're exhausted.”
I almost laughed.
Same tactic she used on Clara.
Define someone's emotion.
Then dismiss everything they say because of it.
“Try again.”
Mother sighed.
“The crescent means nothing.”
“Then why is it in a nursery you secretly prepared to take my son?”
No answer.
Marissa stood near the wall.
Victor looked at her.
His eyes narrowed.
She noticed.
So did I.
“You keep looking at her.”
He smiled.
“She likes attention.”
Marissa stiffened.
Victor continued.
“Some housekeepers polish silver. This one builds conspiracies.”
“You locked her in a service room.”
“She wouldn't stop interfering.”
“With starving my wife.”
He rolled his eyes.
“There it is again.”
I stepped closer.
“What?”
“Starving.”
He laughed.
“She missed two meals.”
Marissa whispered:
“Four.”
Victor turned.
She didn't back down.
“Four meals.”
His face hardened.
Marissa continued.
“And Evelyn poured out Clara's water twice because she said Clara hadn't earned a break.”
My mother laughed.
“Oh, please.”
I looked at her.
She shrugged.
“She kept using the bathroom as an excuse to stop working.”
The doctor in the room stared.
Evelyn noticed.
“What?”
He said nothing.
She smiled coldly.
“You people have made pain fashionable.”
Clara lay silent in bed.
Mother pointed toward her.
“Every ache is a crisis.”
Then at Noah.
“Every cry is an emergency.”
She turned to me.
“And every time someone complains, Daniel comes running.”
I stared.
“Yes.”
Her face twisted.
“You say that like you're proud.”
“I am.”
Silence.
Victor stepped forward.
“This is why the crescent came back.”
There.
A slip.
He froze.
Too late.
I picked up the pin.
“Came back.”
Victor said nothing.
“So you do know.”
He laughed bitterly.
“Of course I know.”
“How many?”
Nothing.
Mother said:
“Enough.”
I turned.
She held my gaze.
Finally honest.
“Enough men are tired of watching you turn this family into a nursery.”
Clara closed her eyes.
Mother continued.
“You cancel meetings because Noah has an appointment.”
“He is six days old.”
“You changed a dinner because Clara was discharged.”
“She is my wife.”
“You stopped two collections because you wanted to be at the hospital.”
“Yes.”
Each answer angered her more.
“You think that's leadership?”
“Yes.”
Mother laughed.
“Then you're not your father's son.”
That was supposed to hurt.
It didn't.
“My father loved me.”
Her smile disappeared.
I continued.
“He came when I called.”
Nothing.
“He sat beside my bed when I was sick.”
Mother stared.
“He taught me that protecting family wasn't softness.”
Victor interrupted.
“Your father is dead.”
I turned.
He smiled.
“And dead men don't run houses.”
Marissa gasped.
Victor didn't care.
He had stopped pretending.
“Somebody has to make decisions while you play husband.”
I held up the crescent pin.
“Is that what you're doing?”
“Someone should.”
There.
Not denial.
Ambition.
I looked at Mother.
“And you support him.”
She smiled.
“I support strength.”
Victor's chest lifted.
Then Clara spoke from the bed.
Weakly.
“You told me Daniel agreed.”
Mother turned.
Clara continued.
“You said he wanted Victor handling things while he stayed home.”
Mother said nothing.
Clara looked at me.
“She told me if I loved you, I'd convince you to step aside.”
My blood went cold.
Victor's smile disappeared.
I stared at Mother.
“You used my wife to pressure me into giving Victor control.”
Mother lifted her chin.
“I gave her a chance to be useful.”
Clara started crying.
Evelyn rolled her eyes.
“There. Again.”
I stepped toward her.
She smiled.
“What? Is everyone supposed to stop because she has tears?”
I looked at Mother.
“No.”
May you like
I picked up the silver crescent.
“Everyone is going to stop because you just admitted what this was really about.”
