My whole life had split open in the space of two days.
He got none.
I closed the door behind him.
Then I locked it.
Then I leaned against it and shook so hard I thought I might slide to the floor.
I cried. Obviously I cried. My marriage was over. My sister was gone. My whole life had split open in the space of two days.
But under all of that was something else.
The lie was over.
Relief.
They were out.
The lie was over.
The next morning, my mother called and asked, very carefully, “Do you want to tell me what happened last night?”
So I did.
She went silent for so long I thought the call had dropped. Then she said, “I’m coming over.”