April 20, 2016

April 20, 2016, the date Kyra would turn twenty-one, was the endpoint of a concealed bargain governing whether Mattie could remain in her daughter’s life. In Mattie’s account, it marked not simply a birthday but the end of a long period during which she had agreed to stay away from both Kyra and Lance.

The Date in the Agreement

Mattie said the offer was two million dollars, to be deposited in a bank of her choice west of the Mississippi. In return, after giving birth she had to leave Devore’s grandchild with Lance and stay away from both him and the child until at least April 20, 2016.

What the Deadline Meant

When the date was specified as the year Kyra turned twenty-one, Mattie confirmed that this was the condition she had accepted. The arrangement thus tied access to Kyra to a fixed age and a specific calendar day: until that threshold, separation was part of the bargain rather than a temporary interruption.

Secrecy and Significance

Mattie added that Osgood knew none of the details, allowing Devore’s conduct to remain unexposed in town. The deadline therefore belonged to a private arrangement whose financial terms, demanded separation, and secrecy were all linked. Its significance lies in the duration it imposed: two million dollars purchased an absence that would last until Kyra reached adulthood.