“I miss you too. And Mom misses you. She gets sad sometimes when she thinks I’m not looking.”

Tina felt her cheeks burn, wanting to snatch the phone back but not wanting to upset Carson.

“Well, tell your mom I miss her too,” Bette said gently. “And Carson? I want you to know that even though I’m far away, I’m still here for you, okay? If you ever need anything, you can always call me.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

“Can I talk to you again next week?”

“Of course. But check with your mom first, okay?”

“Okay. I love you, Bette.”

Tina’s breath caught at the simple, innocent declaration.

“I love you too, kiddo. So much.”

Carson handed the phone back to Tina, beaming. “She said she loves me.”

“I heard.” Tina took the phone, her voice catching slightly. “Bette?”

“I’m here.”

“Thank you. For being so good with him.”

“He’s easy to be good with. He’s an amazing kid, Tina.”

“He gets that from you, you know. The way he sees the world, his kindness. That’s all you.”

“Tina…”

“I know. I know we’re not supposed to do this. But I can’t help it. Watching him with you, seeing how happy he is… it just confirms everything I already knew.”

“I should go.”

“I know. But Bette? He’s right. I do miss you. More than I probably should.”

“I miss you too,” Bette said quietly. “Both of you.”

After they hung up, Tina found herself staring at her phone, replaying every word of the conversation. Carson had already moved on to his lima beans, chattering about how he was going to draw pictures of their progress for Bette.

The kid was making this secret plan very hard to keep.

—–

**Later that afternoon – Helena’s Office**

“The grand jury handed down indictments yesterday,” Helena announced, sliding a folder across her desk to Tina. “Darren Ratliff is being charged with bigamy, fraud, and perjury.”

Tina opened the folder, scanning the legal documents. “What does this mean for the custody case?”

“It means we have him dead to rights. A man facing multiple felony charges isn’t going to get custody of an eight year-old boy. The question now is whether he’ll fight it or accept a plea deal.”