Chapter 6 No Contact
Just as his patience ran out, he heard footsteps outside the door.
The door creaked open softly, and Ethan reached over to flip off the lights. Darkness swallowed the room instantly.
He loosened his robe tie, his voice flat. “It’s late. Let’s get this over with. I have plans after.”
Light from the hallway seeped through the gap in the door, casting a blurry shadow on the figure in the doorway.
Jane heard Ethan’s words and froze. She didn’t dare step inside, her voice barely a whisper. “Mr. Wilson… It’s me.”
Ethan paused. When he realized who it was, he fumbled for the light switch, flipping it back on.
He stared at Jane, confused. “She’s not back yet?”
Jane’s palms were sweaty. She nodded. “No, sir.”
The air in the room turned thick with tension.
Jane could tell Ethan was annoyed, but she tried to smooth things over. “Mrs. Wilson usually comes home early. Last month, she was here before six. Must be something holding her up.”
Ethan caught the hint in her words. He didn’t elaborate, just said, “I see.”
Jane was about to suggest he rest when Ethan sat up abruptly. She clamped her mouth shut, watching him swing his legs over the bed.
Five minutes later, he was dressed and heading for the door.
Jane followed him downstairs, her mind racing. She felt like she was forgetting something.
It wasn’t until Ethan’s car vanished around the corner that she remembered: Emily left something in the study for Ethan.
******
Ethan had barely driven out of Brocade Estates when his phone rang. It was Nancy.
“What’s wrong?” Under the dim glow of the dashboard, his features softened.
Nancy’s voice came through, soft and hesitant. “Ethan, I have a big recital tomorrow… but Sophie’s kindergarten has an opening day parent-child thing. I…”
She didn’t finish, but Ethan got it. “Don’t worry. I’ll have Emily go then.”
A sigh of relief came from the other end. “Okay. I already talked to Sophie, just let Ms. Carter know.”
“Just focus on your recital,” Ethan said.
He hung up, then pulled over to the side of the road.
He scrolled through his call history, but couldn’t find that familiar number.
Only then did it hit him that Emily hadn’t called him in a very long time.
During those years when Emily was Sophia’s full-time nanny, she’d call every day asking if he was coming home for dinner. He rarely went back, and when he did, it was only to see Sophia.
After bringing up the second child plan, she’d ask every few days if he was coming home, but he didn’t answer every call.
Sometimes he’d hang up, sometimes he’d let it ring out. But whenever he wanted to reach Emily, he could always find her number easily.
But now, after scrolling through several pages, he still couldn’t see her number.
He didn’t know how long he scrolled before finally finding it, but the last contact record was from three months ago.
Had it really been that long?
He couldn’t even remember if he’d picked up.
He dialed.
A cold, automated voice cut in. “The number you are trying to reach is unavailable.”
Ethan froze. He’d never heard that before.
He tried again—same result. Four more times, and still nothing.
He gave up, then opened WhatsApp to video call her. But her name wasn’t there at all.
In the end, he sent a text.
[Sophie has a parent-child opening day tomorrow. She wants you to go. 2 PM, East Street Kindergarten.]
He hit send, then pulled back onto the road.
She’s probably just busy. She’d see the text and go, like she always did.
That thought settled him.
******
Emily finished her last shift at Healdsburg Elementary and headed back to the teacher’s dorm.
She was exhausted.
She washed up, set her phone to silent, and collapsed into bed, asleep before her head hit the pillow.
The next morning, she woke to her phone buzzing.
She grabbed it, half-asleep, expecting her alarm. But it was a calendar reminder: tomorrow was Julian’s birthday.
Julian Wilson, Ethan’s father.
The day before his birthday, they’d invite close friends over for a private dinner at home, then throw a bigger, fancier party on the actual day.
In past years, she’d wake up at dawn to hit the market, then spend both days cooking huge meals for the Wilsons’ guests. She’d work herself to death just to make them happy.
But not this year. She wasn’t that stupid anymore.
She swiped the reminder away and rolled over, going back to sleep…
Today was Friday; Emily got off at 2 PM.
For years, she’d only remembered Julian’s birthday, forgetting it was also her own dad’s. But not anymore.
She planned to drive back to Carter Manor tonight, then cook her dad’s favorite dinner tomorrow.
Ethan’s text from last night was buried under a pile of school notifications. She never saw it.
She pulled into Carter Manor at 6 PM, right in time for dinner.
The whole family was there—her father, Henry Carter; her mother, Linda Carter; her brother, Ryan Carter; her sister-in-law, Chloe Carter; and her niece, Molly Carter.
Molly, who’d been working on a puzzle, looked up as the door opened.
When she saw Emily, she dropped the puzzle pieces and ran over, wrapping her arms around Emily’s legs. “Aunt Emily! You’re back!”
Emily knelt down, hugging her tight and kissing her cheek. “Mm-hmm.”
That one word made her throat ache. Her eyes stung with tears.
Molly wrapped her arms around Emily’s neck, kissing her back, then yelled toward the kitchen. “Dad! Mom! Aunt Emily’s here!”
Ryan and Chloe came out. Ryan’s face lit up for a split second, then went cold.
Chloe elbowed him, smiling at Emily. “Good to have you home. Dinner’s almost ready.”
Molly tugged Chloe’s hand. “Mom, Aunt Emily loves Gumbo! You said we’d wait for her… Can we make it now?”
Chloe tapped her nose playfully. “You little foodie. Of course we can.”
Molly jumped up, clapping her hands, her pigtails bouncing.
But Ryan didn’t even look at Emily. He glared at Molly, his voice sharp. “Stop being so eager to please someone who doesn’t care about us.”
Emily’s chest tightened.
Her parents, brother, and sister-in-law had always treated her with nothing but love and care. Yet she’d poured every bit of her energy and love into the Wilson family, sacrificing without a word, giving them everything she had.
But none of that ever mattered to the Wilsons. Her sacrifices only left scars on her own family—the Carters.
Honestly, she felt like she had no right to come back tonight.
But the bond with her family? That was real.
Her brother and father acted tough, but she knew they worried. Her mom, sweet and thoughtful as always, cried for her every night. Chloe, always gentle and understanding, backed her up every time.
And Molly… sweet, innocent Molly never stopped missing her.
These were the people worth holding onto.
The cold, empty life she tried to build with the Wilsons? She should’ve let go of it ages ago.
