Chương 7
She had taken care of two children.
And Daniel had known none of it.
Sarah brought out tea for herself.
Daniel noticed she did not offer him any.
He did not blame her.
"Tell me about Claire's last year."
Sarah looked toward Lily.
The girl was sitting on the floor with Emma, playing with a stuffed rabbit.
"She loved those girls."
"I know."
Sarah looked at him.
"Do you?"
The question was not cruel.
It was a test.
Daniel looked down.
"No."
Sarah nodded slightly.
"At least that is honest."
She folded her hands.
"Claire got sick after Emma was born."
"What kind of illness?"
"Heart condition."
Daniel went still.
"She never told me."
"She didn't want you to feel obligated."
His face tightened.
"Obligated?"
Sarah looked at him carefully.
"Daniel, Claire loved you."
The words hurt.
"But she also knew you."
He looked confused.
"What does that mean?"
"It means she knew you would come running because you felt guilty."
Daniel said nothing.
"She didn't want guilt to be the reason you became a father."
The room became quiet.
Because that was exactly the kind of thing Claire would have believed.
And exactly the kind of thing he would have done.
"She was wrong," Daniel said.
Sarah looked at him.
"Was she?"
He did not answer.
A clock ticked in the kitchen.
Lily laughed quietly at something Emma did.
The sound felt impossible.
A normal sound inside a broken day.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Daniel asked.
Sarah looked down.
"Because Claire asked me not to."
"She knew she was dying?"
Sarah's eyes changed.
"She knew she was running out of time."
Daniel looked away.
The sentence was too heavy to hold directly.
"She wrote letters."
His head lifted.
"To me?"
Sarah nodded.
"Some."
"Where are they?"
Sarah hesitated.
The hesitation returned.
Like Lily's.
Like everyone connected to Claire had learned to guard information.
"Daniel."
"What?"
"Before I give them to you, I need you to understand something."
He waited.
"Claire was not trying to punish you."
He looked confused.
"I never said she was."
"No."
Sarah looked toward the children.
"But people sometimes turn grief into anger because anger is easier to carry."
Daniel felt the truth of that.
He had been angry at Claire for years.
Angry that she left.
Angry that she stopped calling.
Angry that she made him feel like the villain in a story he did not remember choosing.
Maybe anger had been easier than admitting he missed her.
"Where are the letters?"
Sarah stood.
She walked toward the hallway.
Daniel watched her disappear.
Then his phone rang.
Marcus.
Daniel answered immediately.
"What happened?"
Marcus' voice was tense.
"We found something."
Daniel stood.
"What?"
"The notebook."
His breathing stopped.
"Where?"
There was a pause.
Then Marcus said:
"At Whitmore Tower."
Daniel looked at Lily.
She was no longer playing.
She was watching him.
"Who had it?" Daniel asked.
Marcus lowered his voice.
"Someone who should not have had it."
"Who?"
Another pause.
Then:
"Your fiancée's assistant."
"Your fiancée's assistant."
Daniel did not speak.
The words remained between them, suspended in the quiet room.
Outside, a car passed along the street.
Inside, Emma made a soft noise and reached toward the stuffed rabbit beside her.
Lily looked at Daniel's face.
She did not know what the call meant.
But she knew something had changed.
"What happened?" Sarah asked as she returned from the hallway holding a small envelope.
Daniel looked at her.
"I need to leave."
Sarah noticed the change immediately.
"Why?"
He looked at the children.
"Because someone may have information I need."
Sarah held the envelope tighter.
"About Claire?"
Daniel nodded.
"About the notebook."
Her expression shifted.
"The notebook?"
"Someone found it."
"Who?"
He hesitated.
"My fiancée's assistant."
Sarah stared at him.
For the first time since he arrived, she looked angry.
"Your fiancée?"
Daniel looked down.
"The woman I was supposed to marry today."
Sarah looked toward Lily.
The girl had stopped moving.
She was listening.
Daniel noticed and lowered his voice.
"I need to handle this carefully."
Sarah gave a small, tired laugh.
"Carefully?"
He looked at her.
"Daniel, a little girl traveled across the city because she thought you were the only person who could help her."
The words were quiet.
"But you are still worried about handling things carefully."
The criticism was fair.
He knew it.
Years ago, he would have argued.
He would have explained the difference between emotion and responsibility.
Today, he just stood there.
"I am trying to make sure I don't make another mistake."
Sarah studied him.
That answer seemed to matter.
"Then don't make the mistake of thinking this is only a problem to solve."
Daniel looked toward Lily.
"I know."
"Do you?"
He did not answer.
Because he was starting to understand that knowing something and living it were different.
He walked back toward Lily.
"I have to go somewhere."
Her face changed slightly.
Not fear.
Preparation.
As if she was getting ready for disappointment.
The words came quickly.
Almost too quickly.
Lily looked at him.
"Everyone says that."
Daniel felt the sentence more than he expected.
He crouched down.
"I know."
She looked surprised.
Most adults corrected her.
Most adults told her not to think that way.
Daniel did not.
"Can I tell you something?"
She nodded.
"I don't know how to fix what happened."
Her eyes stayed on him.
"But I know leaving it alone is what caused the problem."
Lily looked down at Emma.
After a moment, she nodded.
"Okay."
It was not forgiveness.
It was not trust.
It was a beginning.
And Daniel knew better than to ask for more.
The drive back to Whitmore Tower felt shorter than the drive away.
Maybe because anger moved faster than guilt.
Marcus was waiting in the private entrance when Daniel arrived.
He looked uncomfortable.
"Where is she?"
"In the security office."
Daniel stopped.
"She is still here?"
Marcus nodded.
"She asked to speak with you."
May you like
Daniel almost laughed.
Not because it was funny.
