Page 95 of After Anna

“Kath, on a scale of one to terrible, it was catastrophic.”

“Oh no.” Kathy put an arm around Maggie’s shoulder and guided her to the walking path. “Tell me everything.”

Maggie fell in step and filled Kathy in on everything that had happened during the fight with Anna, then the fight afterwards with Noah. It took her half the meadow to get the entire story out, and they were passed by a few runners.

“Oh boy.” Kathy sighed heavily. “I’m sorry it went so badly.”

“She was so hurt. And Noah called her a liar.” Maggie shook her head as they walked along. “And I don’t know what to do about Jamie.”

“Here’s my brilliant idea, and I truly think this is a great compromise for you. Let’s say that Anna is not lying to you.”

“Do you think she is?”

“Honey, I don’t know for sure, and it truly doesn’t matter. You guys don’t call anybody. No kid that age is going to let you call the school or call anybody’s parents, and I doubt that the school will give you the parents’ contact information anyway.”

“You’re right.”

“But there has to be a way that Anna can get a message to Jamie and Anna should ask Jamie to call her parents.”

“That’s not a bad idea.”

“And you know what else? You guys need to start having fun. It’s supposed to be a nice weekend. Why don’t you go down the shore?”

“But it’s only April.”

“Who cares?” Kathy smiled, chugging along the path. “You need a change of scenery. You’re in that house fussing all the time. You need to go somewhere different, where your roles aren’t set.”

“I love it!” Maggie felt her heart lift. She pictured Anna and Caleb playing on the beach.

“And you know what else? I think you should throw a party for Anna. Something easy, like a barbecue. She moved in, and so far, it’s been a source of conflict. Why not flip that? Celebrate! Your daughter is back in your life!”

“But nobody even knows I have a daughter.” Maggie felt a wave of shame that she knew well, like an old friend, or an old enemy.

“So it’s time to tell them, don’t you think?” Kathy looked over, her expression frank. “That’s ancient history, and you didn’t doanything wrong. I think you should introduce Anna to everybody.”

“So, in other words, I’m coming clean?” Maggie thought of their friends, parents in Caleb’s class, and Noah’s partners and their wives.

“Yes, why not?” Kathy patted her back. “Everybody loves you, Maggie. Nobody’s going to think about the past, we’re just going to be happy that she’s here.”

“I guess you’re right,” Maggie said, as they walked the final stretch around the field. “I like the statement it makes to Anna. That we’re happy that she’s in our family and we want her to meet our friends, like you.”

“Exactly! I can’t wait to see her!” Kathy grinned, then stopped walking. “Wait. Did you tell her that I searched the textbooks, too?”

“No.”

“I owe you one,” Kathy shot back, laughing.

Chapter Forty-five

Noah, After

TRIAL, DAY 5

“Dr. Alderman, you discussed the incident that had taken place in the bathroom with your wife, didn’t you?”

“There was no incident, it didn’t happen.”

Linda blinked. “Did Anna inform your wife of theallegedincident in your presence?”