“She told you all of that?” Delores asked. “She told you everything?”
“She needed someone to talk to,” Maverick replied.
“I don’t owe you an explanation. I want to speak to my daughter.” Delores started up the stairs, but he blocked her. She stepped back.
“Give her time. A little space. That’s what she asked for. That’s what I’m going to make sure she gets.”
“My baby hates me. My sweet girl. My Delilah hates me.”
Maverick watched and waited. When a person spoke in distress, you let them release. Answers came in the release. Delores started talking. “I named her. Did she tell you that? Well, I did. I just loved that name. She’s special, strong. I wanted to give her the world. Abigail offered that. That’s what I thought. When she was little, she didn’t have friends. Kids thought she was weird because she was so smart. Other kids picked on her. Queen was her little defender. I remember the day she showed up with Queen. The poor little thing hadn’t had her hair combed in weeks. I could tell she didn’t eat well either. They were only six years old. So little and so fierce in their bond. Queen never let Delilah’s hand go. Delilah cried when I made Henry take Queen home. Delilah snuck down the street to meet Queen. She brought her back to our house and hid her in her room for two days before I figured out why so much food kept being snuck out of the cabinets and taken there. I found them sleeping in bed together. I couldn’t believe how stubborn and smart my little girl was. But I trusted her instincts. I went to meet Gayle and tried to make peace... I discovered more than I wished to know—a lot more. I understand why she can’t forgive me. I also know why she treats Queen the way she does. There’s a lot people don’t know about Gayle; the girls don’t know. Poor Queen,” Delores sighed. “From that moment on, Gayle and I had an understanding, and Queen spent most days at my house when Gayle was drunk. But if she sobered and found Queen gone that rage and bitterness in her won out. She came for her. Punished her. Queen was like a daughter to me. She’s a sister to Delilah. I’ve never forgiven myself for betraying that child’s trust.”
“For money,” Maverick said.
“I beg your pardon?” Delores said.
“You betrayed Gayle for money.”
“No. I don’t know. I was young too, and stupid, and jealous. But I met Henry and I changed. I didn’t understand all the things that happened to Gayle. I didn’t know Charles was her baby. Not until Abigail told him I was his mother,” Delores said.
“That answers my second question. If that’s true, then why did you let Mother Abigail cover up her abuse?”
“It had already happened by the time I found out what that girls had done. They had tried to kill a man. Ten years old, my daughter planned his murder. What do you think I should have done?” Delores asked. “I panicked. I wanted it to all to go away. They watched a man die together. I didn’t know how to handle that. I just wanted to protect Delilah, get her away from it all. Give her a chance I didn’t have. I shouldn’t have separated those girls. I took her away and made her a science experiment. That’s what Henry called college and law school for a kid, a science experiment. He said we were taking away her childhood.”
“What does he know?” Maverick asked.
“Not much. Nothing about me arranging the coverup as payment to keep the scandal buried for Mother Abigail. Nothing about Charles thinking she was his sister.” She shook her head in disgust. “What kind of marriage did they have if he thought that about her?”
“Not a good one,” Maverick said. He understood her inexperience with love and passion now more than ever.
“Henry thought I found out the truth the same time he did. He was furious. He was like the other parents, scared of the effect of the trauma inflicted upon the girls. They were little black girls and could be locked away at ten years old for that crime. It took me two years to convince him to let the Montgomery’s put Delilah in their program. They were supposed to take her at ten. Two hard years of fighting with my husband to give Delilah this future. Henry tried his best to give Delilah and the girls their normalcy before I won that battle. He spoiled her and spent as much time as he could taking her on fishing trips and camping with the girls. The four of them really bonded, and I was left out. My bond with Delilah was school, her smarts. Henry connected with her in ways I never could. I felt jealous. For me, Henry’s way made Delilah ordinary. My child wasn’t ordinary. So I kept at my husband. And Henry gave in to me when it started to affect our marriage. I lied to him. I said we could have another child and expand our family. I didn’t want other children. I wanted Delilah. And I handed her over to Abigail to give her the future I didn’t have. I did that to her. Even after knowing what that woman did to my mother. Even after watching my father die from heartbreak. Even after Tyson and Gayle... Charles. I believed Delilah would never forgive me if she knew the real me. And now she does.”
Maverick didn’t want to sympathize with Delores. In fact, he wanted Peter Collins to face the blame with her. After all, he was the monster in the story. Hearing that Henry did his best to be a father to his daughter broke his heart. He was now doing the same for Noah. And he didn’t want to make those mistakes. He understood Delilah completely now.
“I’m sorry,” he said to Delores. “I wish I had an option here.”
“What kind of option?” Delores asked.
“A way to take her and Noah the hell out of here. Get them out of this house haunted with secrets, for you and her both. She needs a break.”
“Wait. That’s a great idea,” Delores smiled. “You can take her to my house.”
“Huh?” Maverick asked.
“I’ll go home and get Henry. I’ll bring him back here. We can stay while you two take Noah and go back to my house to quarantine. It's not as big as this one, but it’s comfortable for her. And she can get a break from... me. From all of this stuff,” Delores smiled.
“Would she go for it?” Maverick asked.
“I don’t know. It’s worth a try, though, right?” Delores asked.
He nodded in agreement. Delores went in search of a notepad and pen. She came back and smiled. She had scribbled the address. “Oh, this is silly, she’ll be in the car with you. She can tell you how to get to the house. We’ll be heading back here in about an hour. Give you some time to pack and convince her to leave with you. Do you think you can convince her?”
“I have my ways,” Maverick said. Delores looked around. He wasn’t sure what she saw, but he imagined that it was the past all over again.
“Give her a little time,” he said. Delores turned, walked straight toward him, and hugged him. That shocked Maverick. He wasn’t sure if it was sincere, but he knew she needed the hug. So he hugged her back.
“I’m sorry for how I treated you. Thank you for being here for her,” Delores said. She got her coat and picked up her keys, purse; before he could ask her any further questions, she left. Maverick wiped both hands down his face. He had his issues, but he couldn’t imagine they were any greater in comparison to what he had experienced since he arrived at Falcon Cove. He went to the cottage instead of back upstairs. He found Queen on the phone. Her partner Apollo was seated at the kitchen table, looking at his phone. Both of them looked over at him when he walked in. Queen ended her call immediately.