That was answer enough.
“I’m coming over,” she said. “Right now. Don’t go anywhere.”
“I already went,” I said. “And I came back.”
“Dad—”
“Jessica,” I said, sharper than I meant. “I’m not a runaway dog.”
She made a sound like she was biting her tongue.
“I’m bringing Mark,” she said. “And the kids are staying home. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
Then she hung up.
I stood in the kitchen holding my phone, feeling something cold crawl up my spine.
Not fear of strangers.
Not fear of a video.
Fear of the people who loved me.
Because love, when it’s scared, will put you in a cage and call it safety.
