Chapter 4

Dinner was a roast chicken. Adeline had cooked it out of habit, moving through the motions like a ghost while the world shifted under her feet.

The dining room was loud. Fronia sat at the head of the table, which was usually Bailey's spot, but he wasn't here. Again. Instead, Leo sat in the chair to her right.

Fronia hadn't stopped beaming since the boy walked in. She piled his plate high with mashed potatoes and gravy, cooing over him like he was a long-lost treasure.

"Look at those eyes," Fronia gushed, pinching his cheek. "Exactly like Bailey's. Exactly like a Frost."

Earl, the father-in-law, was actually sober for once. He squinted at the boy, nodding slowly. "Yep. That's our blood, alright."

Cletus was trying to get Leo to give him a high-five. "That's my boy! Welcome to the family, little man."

Adeline sat at the other end of the table. She ate her chicken. She chewed. She swallowed. She tasted nothing.

Fronia looked down the table at her, a smug smile playing on her lips. "You see, Adeline? This is what a real Frost looks like. This is what family means. Some trees just don't bear fruit, no matter how much water you give them."

Earl grunted in agreement. "About time we got an heir."

Adeline set her fork down. The clink of silver against china was sharp. She dabbed her mouth with her napkin.

She looked at Leo. "Eat your vegetables, Leo."

Her calm tone made Fronia's smile falter. The older woman hated being ignored. "Are you even listening to me? Bailey gave us a son. A real son. You should be on your knees thanking him for not tossing you out years ago."

Adeline lifted her gaze. She looked at Fronia. Then at Earl. Then at Cletus. She smiled. It was a thin, cold smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"I am thrilled," Adeline said softly. "Truly. It means I can finally drop the dead weight."

Fronia blinked, confused by the response. "What are you talking about?"

"It means I don't have to pretend anymore," Adeline said. "Leo is your heir. He is your responsibility. I am not."

Fronia's face hardened. "You are his wife. You will raise him. You will be a mother to him, or so help me-"

"I'm not a Frost," Adeline interrupted. Her voice was quiet, but it cut through the room like a blade. "Legally, I won't be for much longer."

The room went silent. The only sound was the ticking of the grandfather clock in the hallway.

Fronia's face turned purple. "What did you say?"

"I filed for divorce this afternoon," Adeline said. She stood up, smoothing down her skirt. "You can keep the house. You can keep the cars. You can keep the kid. I'm done."

"You can't leave!" Fronia shrieked, standing up so fast her chair tipped over. "You made a vow, Adeline! In front of God and everyone! You don't just get to walk away because you're having a little tantrum. Your place is here!"

"Legally, I'm not property at all," Adeline replied. She turned her back on them and walked out of the dining room.

She heard Fronia screaming behind her. She heard Cletus swearing. She heard Leo start to cry.

She didn't care.

She walked upstairs to the bedroom. She didn't pack much. She had a go-bag in the closet-she had packed it six months ago, just in case. A small rolling suitcase. Inside was her passport, her social security card, her mother's diamond earrings, and three changes of clothes.

She changed out of the silk blouse and pencil skirt. She pulled on jeans, a t-shirt, and running shoes. She felt lighter instantly.

She looked around the room. The king-sized bed she had slept in alone. The vanity covered in expensive makeup she never wore. It was all props in a play that had closed.

She grabbed the handle of the suitcase and walked out.

Downstairs, the family was still yelling. Fronia was ranting about lawyers and theft. Earl was pouring a drink. Cletus was trying to calm Leo down.

Nobody noticed Adeline walk through the living room. Nobody noticed her open the door to the garage.

She got into her Range Rover. The engine purred to life, a sound that was hers and hers alone.

She hit the garage door opener. As the door rolled up, she saw Fronia standing in the doorway to the house, her face twisted in rage.

"Adeline! You get back here! The bills need to be paid! Who is going to cook? Who is going to clean?" Fronia shrieked, running after the car.

Adeline put the car in reverse. She backed out into the night. She shifted into drive.

She looked in the rearview mirror. Fronia was standing in the driveway, her arms waving, getting smaller and smaller.

Adeline reached for the radio. She turned the dial until she found a country station. The twang of a guitar filled the car.

She pressed the gas pedal. The speedometer climbed. The wind whipped through her hair.

She didn't look back again.