Chapter 4 - The Return to Nowhere
The flight from Rome to Chicago was long,
filled with the artificial luxury of first-class cabins and the hollow laughter of a man who thought he had won.
Ethan leaned back in his leather seat,
sipping a glass of champagne,
his hand resting on Sienna’s knee.
He was tired,
but he was triumphant.
He had the girl.
He had the kids.
And in a few hours,
he would have the house all to himself,
clean of the "baggage" that Natalie represented.
"I can't wait to see the look on her face,"
Sienna whispered,
her voice thick with a fake,
saccharine concern.
"I hope she didn't leave too much of a mess."
"She knows the rules,"
Ethan said,
his voice arrogant and certain.
"Natalie was always good at following directions.
She’ll be in some tiny apartment by now,
wallowing in the past."
Lily and Max sat a few rows back,
their faces pressed against the windows as the plane descended into O'Hare.
They were quiet,
exchanging glances that Ethan didn't bother to interpret.
They had seen the pictures Sienna had posted on Instagram,
the ones where she posed in front of the Trevi Fountain wearing Natalie’s favorite scarf.
They weren't stupid.
They knew their father had become a stranger.
The SUV ride from the airport was filled with Sienna’s chatter about redecorating the living room.
"I think we should go with a minimalist look,"
she said,
gesturing with her manicured hands.
"Lots of white.
Lots of light.
Maybe some modern art where that old grandfather clock used to be."
Ethan laughed,
a sound of pure,
unadulterated ego.
"Anything you want,
babe.
It’s our house now."
They turned into the neighborhood,
the familiar trees and houses flashing by.
Ethan felt a surge of pride as they approached the final turn.
This was his kingdom.
This was the reward for his hard work.
He pulled the SUV into the entrance of the driveway,
but he stopped suddenly,
the tires screeching on the pavement.
"What the hell?"
he muttered,
squinting through the windshield.
The driveway didn't lead to a garage.
It didn't lead to a front porch.
It led to a void.
He blinked,
thinking perhaps the jet lag was playing tricks on his mind.
But the reality didn't change.
The five-acre lot was empty.
There were no walls.
There was no roof.
There were no windows reflecting the afternoon sun.
There was only a flat,
brown patch of dirt where his life was supposed to be.
"Where is it?"
Sienna asked,
her voice rising in a panicked squeak.
"Ethan,
where is the house?"
Ethan climbed out of the car,
his legs feeling like jelly.
He walked toward the center of the lot,
his expensive Italian loafers sinking into the soft,
freshly turned earth.
He turned in a slow circle,
his mouth hanging open,
the champagne from the flight turning to acid in his stomach.
His parents climbed out of the back,
their faces pale and frozen with shock.
The kids stood by the SUV,
Lily letting out a small,
stifled laugh that echoed in the vast,
empty space.
"Natalie!"
Ethan screamed into the quiet neighborhood.
"Natalie,
May you like
what did you do?"
But the only answer was the wind whistling through the empty trees.
