She drew the child to her and held her close. She felt the bed dip beneath Vince’s weight as he sat down behind her. He wrapped them both in his arms and held them, his head bent, his cheek pressed to Anne’s.

Gradually, Haley’s screams gave way to sobs, and gradually the sobs gave way to sniffles and hiccups. Vince went into the bathroom and returned with a damp washcloth to wipe away tears—both Haley’s and Anne’s.

“I was scared!” Haley cried.

“I know!” Anne said. “You’re safe, though, honey. No one can hurt you here.”

“That was a bad dream,” Vince said. “Do you want to tell us about it, sweetheart?”

Anne stiffened and shot him a look, but Haley nodded her head. She wanted the memory of it out where grownups could look at it and reassure her that she would be safe.

“Was someone trying to hurt you?” Vince asked.

Haley nodded. “The bad monster was chasing my mommy!”

“That’s a scary dream,” Anne whispered, stroking the girl’s hair.

“Does the bad monster have a name?” Vince asked.

“Bad Daddy!” Haley said.

“Does Bad Daddy have a regular name?”

“Bad Daddy!!” she said emphatically, angry that the adults were too dense to get it.

“Bad Daddy can’t get you here, honey,” Anne said.

“I don’t like bad dreams!”

“Me neither. I hate bad dreams. I had a bad dream tonight too.”

Haley looked up at her, surprised. “You have bad dreams too?”

Anne nodded.

“Why?”

“Because a bad man tried to hurt me,” Anne said, “and I was so afraid.”

“Were you little like me?”

“No. It happened just last year.”

“And you were still afraid?”

“Very. And I still get afraid when I have a bad dream. But when I wake up I remember that I’m in a safe place, and that the bad man can’t hurt me again, and then I don’t feel afraid anymore.”

“What if the bad daddy came here to get me?” Haley asked.

“We won’t let that happen, Haley,” Vince said. “Anne and I will look out for you. Bad Daddy can’t come to our house.”

She seemed to mull that over for a moment, not quite sure she should believe such a claim.

“When is my mommy coming?”

Anne’s heart was as heavy as a stone in her chest. She looked at Vince. Was this the time? Was there ever a right time? Did she do it now when Haley was already feeling vulnerable and frightened? Or did she tell the white lie and wait another day?

“Mommy isn’t coming, sweetheart,” she said, a mix of dread and relief churning inside her. She wasn’t keeping a terrible secret anymore. She was telling a terrible truth.

Haley’s eyes grew rounder. “Why?”