Chapter 12 - The Blue BirdOne year later, Reed House was noisy.
Prosecutors charged him with kidnapping, conspiracy, fraud, obstruction, attempted murder, and offenses connected to Katherine Reed’s death.
Charles testified.
So did Margaret.
Alexander sat behind prosecutors during several days of proceedings.
Sophie stayed away from most of it.
She refused to let Richard occupy more of Lily’s childhood.
The trial lasted seven weeks.
The jury deliberated for two days.
Guilty.
On every major count.
When Alexander heard the verdict, he expected something inside him to heal.
Instead, he simply felt tired.
Outside the courthouse, reporters shouted questions.
“Mr. Reed, do you forgive your father?”
“Will you sue Richard Vale?”
“Do you believe justice was served?”
Alexander stopped at the microphones.
“My mother spent the last months of her life trying to protect her child and expose wrongdoing. For decades, powerful people reduced her to a tragic accident.”
He looked into the cameras.
“She was more than how she died.”
He stepped away.
That evening, he drove home.
Not to Reed House.
To Starling House.
He had restored the Maine cottage over the winter.
Sophie and Lily were waiting.
Lily ran down the porch steps.
“Alex!”
Alexander lifted her.
“You’re supposed to wear shoes outside.”
“I forgot.”
“You forget every day.”
“I’m three.”
“Excellent defense.”
Sophie laughed from the doorway.
She was no longer his maid.
Two months earlier, she had resigned formally.
Then, with Margaret’s encouragement, she enrolled in a textile restoration program.
Alexander had offered to pay tuition.
Sophie refused.
He tried again.
She threatened him with a frying pan.
They compromised.
A foundation scholarship available to any qualifying student covered part of it.
Sophie accepted because she had to apply like everyone else.
Alexander secretly admired that she made being generous extremely difficult.
They ate dinner overlooking the water.
Margaret joined them.
So did Evelyn.
Even Charles had been invited.
That had been Sophie’s idea.
Alexander resisted.
“Lily likes him,” she said.
“That is not sufficient evidence of character.”
“She also likes worms.”
“Exactly.”
But Charles came.
He sat quietly.
He helped Lily build a tower from wooden blocks.
When it collapsed, she ordered him to rebuild it.
Charles obeyed.
Alexander watched from across the room.
Some losses could never be repaired.
But perhaps damaged people could still choose what they built next.
After Lily went to bed, Charles found Alexander on the porch.
“I’ve decided to sell the city apartment.”
Alexander nodded.
“Where will you go?”
“Somewhere smaller.”
“Father, your apartment has fourteen bedrooms.”
Charles almost smiled.
“Yes. My definition of smaller may need adjustment.”
Silence.
Then Charles handed him an old photograph.
Katherine holding six-year-old Alexander.
“I found it in storage.”
Alexander took it.
His mother looked happy.
So did he.
“She would have liked Sophie,” Charles said.
Alexander stiffened.
“You don’t get to speak for her.”
Charles nodded.
“You’re right.”
He turned to leave.
Alexander looked at the photograph.
“Father.”
Charles stopped.
Alexander struggled with the next words.
“I don’t forgive you.”
Charles closed his eyes briefly.
“I know.”
“But I don’t want to spend the rest of my life hating you.”
Charles turned.
His face trembled.
Alexander had never seen his father cry.
Not at Katherine’s funeral.
Not at Richard’s trial.
Not once.
Until now.
“I’ll take that,” Charles whispered.
It was not reconciliation.
But it was movement.
Later, Sophie sat with Alexander beneath the stars.
He looked toward the house.
“Do you ever miss working for me?”
“No.”
“That was fast.”
“You were impossible.”
“I was efficient.”
“You once emailed me a complaint because towels were folded six inches too far left.”
“It affected symmetry.”
She laughed.
Alexander reached into his pocket.
Sophie saw the movement and immediately narrowed her eyes.
“What are you doing?”
“Nothing.”
“Alexander.”
He withdrew a small box.
“Oh, my God.”
“Before you panic—”
“I am already panicking.”
“This isn’t what you think.”
She stared.
He opened it.
Inside was not a diamond ring.
It was the brass key to Katherine’s writing box.
Sophie looked confused.
“I want you to keep it.”
“Why?”
“Because Margaret gave it to your family. Because my mother trusted her. And because that box represents the worst things my family hid.”
Sophie touched the key.
“And?”
“I want it to represent something different now.”
She looked at him.
“Truth.”
Alexander nodded.
“Truth.”
She took the key.
Then noticed something beneath it.
A ring.
Sophie stared.
Alexander looked almost embarrassed.
“You said it wasn’t what I thought.”
“I said the key wasn’t.”
“You’re terrible.”
“I’ve been told.”
He removed the ring.
Then stood.
Sophie’s eyes filled.
Alexander did not kneel immediately.
He looked toward the upstairs window where Lily’s night-light glowed.
“I spent most of my life believing love was something that could be used against you.”
He looked back at Sophie.
“You and Lily changed that.”
Tears slid down her cheeks.
“I don’t want to rescue you. You don’t need rescuing.”
Sophie laughed softly through tears.
“Good answer.”
“I don’t want you to disappear into my life either.”
He continued.
“I want us to build one.”
Then Alexander Reed got down on one knee.
“Sophie Carter, will you marry me?”
She covered her mouth.
For several seconds, she said nothing.
Alexander’s confidence evaporated.
“Sophie?”
She laughed.
“You look terrified.”
“I am.”
“Good.”
“Sophie.”
“Yes.”
He froze.
“Yes?”
“Yes.”
Alexander stood so quickly he nearly dropped the ring.
Sophie laughed and wrapped her arms around him.
Then a small face appeared at the upstairs window.
“Mommy!”
They looked up.
Lily shouted through the glass.
“Did Alex give you shiny thing?”
Sophie laughed harder.
“Yes!”
“Can I have one?”
Alexander called back, “When you’re thirty!”
Lily frowned.
“Four?”
“No.”
“Five?”
“Go to sleep.”
The curtain closed.
Sophie rested her forehead against Alexander’s.
“She’s going to negotiate you down.”
“She can try.”
“She already owns you.”
Alexander looked toward the window.
Then back at Sophie.
“Yes.”
May you like
He smiled.
“I think she does.”
