Chapter 192: A Frog and a Scorpion

Ellis POV

The sun wasn’t up when I left the house that morning. With a deep breath, I kissed Olivia on her sweetly slumbered cheek, only hoping she would understand. Even if it took a while. Carl was my son, for all his faults, at least some of which he got because of me. I couldn’t just leave him to the fates, no matter what he had done.

I didn’t go to church every Sunday, but I couldn’t help thinking of the Prodigal Son. The story made more sense the older I got. Olivia clearly wasn’t happy with my insistence on helping Carl, but given time, I was certain she would forgive me.

Out of the master bedroom, quiet as a thief, I went to the nursery. Looking down at our sweet little Hope, I was near tears. There was some cold comfort in the fact that if the worst should happen, she was too little to really remember me.