“We love her,” she said quietly.
I believed her.
That was what made everything even more complicated.
“I’m not taking her away from you forever,” I said. “But she needs to come home first.”
Dean nodded.
“We understand.”
“And next time a frightened teenager tells you something unbelievable, be the adults in the room.”
Neither of them disagreed.
The sun was starting to rise when Mallory and I headed home.
For nearly an hour, we said almost nothing.
Then she reached across the center console.
“Mom?”
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry.”
I kept my eyes on the road.
“So am I.”
“Do you hate me?”
“No.”
She let out a shaky breath.
“But loving you and trusting you are two different things right now,” I continued. “We’re going to have to rebuild the second one.” Mallory nodded.
“Okay.”
“And I have to rebuild yours too.”
She looked over at me.
