Page 106 of The Widower
When we finally stepped out, that joy was met with another expression entirely—one that couldn’t have been more different from his.
I was going to have some explaining to do.
COLIN ADAMS
Henry had stopped by the mansion to show me something work-related. Strange, right? The same man who usually claims he’s “just visiting” suddenly wanted to talk business.And when he’s in that mode, he somehow manages to act like a real professional—unbelievable, but true.
We’d just left my small meeting room, and I went to look for Isabelle to sort out a few things. But she was nowhere to be found. Oddly enough, I wasn’t even angry—that alone was progress.
“Is Isabelle here?” I asked Helen, who was in the kitchen cooking lunch.
“She took Joshua to school in one of the cars.”
“All right.”
I started to leave but froze mid-step, spinning back toward her.
“Wait! Did you just say she took Joshua in one of the cars?What the hell was she thinking?!”
Helen looked startled but gave me a quick nod, confirming what I already feared.
“Calm down, Colin!”
That came from Henry, of all people—staring me down with an unusual firmness.
“How the hell am I supposed to calm down?! Did you hear what she just said?!” I snapped, my voice rising.
“I did. But relax. She wouldn’t do anything to hurt him. You need to trust her.”
Trust. My greatest weakness—mostly because I don’t. The last time we tried getting Joshua into a car, he’d spiraled for days. He barely slept, barely spoke to anyone. Even the psychologist couldn’t reach him.
So why would Isabelle succeed where everyone else failed?
“No. This isn’t going to end well.” I stormed toward the garage, though I had no idea what I planned to do when I got there.
“Man! Seriously, what the hell?Can you calm down for a second?”
“I…”
I started to answer but froze again when I saw my driver’s car pulling up the driveway—with Isabelle and Joshua inside.
Even from a distance, I could see them. Joshua was in her arms, smiling. Laughing. The sight hit me like a punch to the chest.
When they got out, I kept my expression stern, trying not to let anything show—but Isabelle definitely noticed. I was sure of it.
What I didn’t expect was for Joshua to run toward me, practically jumping with excitement.
“I did it, Dad! Isabelle helped me—I rode in the car!”
There are moments when you just can’t react—when the world tilts on its axis and all your logic goes silent. That was one of them.
Was I mad? Yes. Was I completely against this idea? Absolutely. Was I planning to let her have it later? Definitely… or at least, I thought I was.
“I’m proud of you, son.”I knelt down to his level. “Are you okay?”
“Uh-huh!Isabelle helped me—she held my hand.”
“Really?”
