Burn (Barlyle) (COMPLETE)

21

"Mommy, why isn't Daddy eating?"

"Daddy had a rough day at work, sweetheart."

"But he works at the circus!"

"Circuses are hard to maintain," Charity chuckled. "Caroline, why don't you and Helen eat dinner in your room tonight?"

Caroline, who'd been silent up until that point, nodded. She and Helen took their plates and left the kitchen, disappearing from sight.

"She's right about one thing, though," Charity mused, "you're normally never this silent, not even on a bad day."

"Today was so much more than just bad," Barnum groaned. He set his fork and knife down and pushed away from the table, standing. Charity rose with him.

"It won't do you any good to just bottle everything up inside, Phin," she murmured, placing a hand on her husband's arm.

"Phillip quit." Barnum ran his hands over his face and sighed.

"Why on Earth would he do that?"

"You should have seen him, Charity. He looked like...like he'd been assaulted."

Charity gasped. "Did he go to the authorities?"

"I don't...think so."

"Why—"

"I don't know." Barnum closed his eyes. Tears wettened his eyelashes. "But - there's something I need to tell you."