Dead Lies by Cybele Loening

setbacks had visibly aged him. Once he’d been straight-backed and strong; now he looked stooped and wobbly.
    Out of the corner of her eye, Anna could see Jack shifting from one foot to another, clearly aware that his presence was unwelcome. “I’m sorry I came,” Jack said. “I know you didn’t want that. I, uh, I just wanted to spend a little more time with Max.” He sighed and added, “I get so little time with him.”
    Anna bit back a nasty retort. She really couldn’t blame him. His time with Max was limited, especially now that she’d moved to New Jersey. But there was nothing Jack could do, of course. She had full custody of Max, and his visits with his father were entirely subject to her discretion. And yet she appreciated how Jack had never expressed any bitterness or resentment. In fact, he seemed grateful to get whatever time she offered. He even respected her demands that he e-mail visitation requests and only telephone on Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings if he wanted to speak to Max. He was so polite and respectful—obsequious, really—that Anna sometimes wondered if Jack was not just honoring the boundaries she’d set up but also trying to win her back.
    Like there was a chance in hell that would ever happen.
    Anna decided to give her ex-husband a pass for breaking the rules, but only because she was still riding high from the excitement of last night. “Just don’t do it again,” she warned. He nodded, and she turned back to her father-in-law. “Did you have a nice Christmas?”
    “We did, Anna. Arlene says hello and sends her love.”
    “Tell her I said the same,” Anna responded sincerely. In spite of everything that had happened she still loved her in-laws and felt sorry they were no longer part of her life.
    She watched Jack retrieve two large shopping bags filled with presents from the trunk. He handed them to Anna. “Here’s Max’s loot.”
    Anna glanced at her father-in-law because she knew that’s who the gifts had come from. Jack couldn’t have afforded them. She knew he was broke. “My God, it’s not that big a house!” she joked.
    Stu grinned. “We just can’t help ourselves where Max is concerned.”
    She took the bags and called out, “Max, come and say goodbye to Daddy and Grandpa.”
    Max ignored her, and she called to him again. He slowly wound his way back and stood behind her, suddenly shy.
    “Come on, Honey,” she coaxed. “Go and say goodbye and thank you.”
    With a gentle nudge, Max walked over to his grandfather and hugged his leg. His grandfather patted Max’s head and said, “Goodbye Max. I love you.”
    Max didn’t respond. He just went over to his father and repeated the gesture. But Anna noticed that he held onto his father for a few extra seconds. It gave her a pang.
    Jack bent down and scooped Max up in his arms, giving Max a huge hug and kiss on the cheek in spite of the way Max was struggling to get away. “Goodbye, partner,” he said. “Daddy loves you.” He set Max down and looked up at Anna, adding, “Goodbye, Anna, and thank you.”
    “Goodbye, Jack, Stu.” She gestured for her son to join her. “Come on, Max,” she said, and he joined her at the bottom of the stoop.
    The two of them stood together and watched the men climb back into the car. They waved as it backed out of the driveway and eventually disappeared down the street.
    Fifteen minutes later, Anna was wiping down the kitchen counters with a sponge. She’d made cinnamon toast, which she’d topped with butter and brown sugar, and they’d eaten it together at the kitchen table. Now Max was playing by himself in the living room. She stopped mid-swipe when she realized she could no longer hear him talking to himself and his toys. She’d always loved his constant stream of chatter and thought of it as the background music of her life. She called out to him. “Max?”
    There was no answer, so she called again. “Max?”
    Still no answer.
    Anna felt a momentary flash