Chapter Twelve: Seven Years, Two Months
"Daddy, why are you in prison?"
Michelle took the phone from Zoe and looked at Tony apologetically. "I… kinda told her that she should ask you and not me."
"Gee, thanks Michelle," Tony said, careful to keep his expression neutral so his daughter wouldn't notice his sarcasm. "'Cause I really wanted that task."
"Look, I'm sorry, okay? I just really think it would be better if it came from you."
Tony sighed and looked at Zoe, who was staring up at him with wide-eyed innocence. "Yeah," he said to Michelle eventually, shaking his head. "I guess you're probably right."
Michelle opened and closed her mouth a few times, seemingly unable to break eye contact with him. Finally she settled on a quiet "Thank you," and gave the phone back to Zoe.
Tony chewed his lip. How was he supposed to explain the circumstances surrounding his arrest to a six-year-old?
"So, you want to know why I'm in prison?" he asked, stalling.
Zoe nodded silently, seemingly having sensed that this was a touchy subject.
"Well…" Tony glanced at Michelle. "I had to do some bad things so that your mommy wouldn't get hurt."
"What bad things? Did you kill somebody?"
"No, sweetheart, I didn't kill anybody. I helped a very bad man escape from the cops."
Zoe blinked. She was probably confused as to why that was something bad enough to have to go to prison for. "Did he kill somebody?"
"Yeah." Again he looked at Michelle, who had averted her eyes and was biting her lip. "Yeah, he killed a lot of people. But he would have killed your mommy if I hadn't helped him, so… I did."
Zoe was staring at him again, completely captivated. "I'm glad you did," she said sincerely.
Tony smiled. "Yeah, me too. You can tell her that, if she gets sad because I'm in prison."
"Okay." She nodded.
And he was glad, really. Despite everything else, despite his imprisonment, he was still glad, of course he was.
He returned the nod, smiling gently