Chapter 373

Madeleine's apartment. As soon as she got home, Madeleine closed the door and locked herself in her room. Abigail was dead. She needed time to process it. Not feel sad—just process. The person who once dragged her into endless darkness was gone, just like that. The storm had passed, and the light felt unfamiliar. "Mom…" Liam and Chris looked up at Beckett, visibly anxious. Chris asked, "Dad, did you and Mom fight?" Beckett knelt down, scooped them into his arms, one on each side. "No way. Your mom just needs some time to herself, that's all." Chris wrapped his little arms around Beckett's neck. "Makes sense. When I'm upset, I like being alone too." "You're so thoughtful, Chris." Liam puffed his cheeks. "When I'm feeling down, I go talk to the tree hole. Daddy said if I tell my sad stuff to the tree hole, it'll eat it up and I'll feel better." Beckett chuckled lightly. "Well, you're pretty lucky, Liam. You met a goofy… I mean, good dad." He couldn't lie—Liam was lucky. Even though he en