Chương 13
“We do it anyway.”
“Okay.”
“And the kids.”
Her smile vanished.
“We both apologize tomorrow.”
“Yes.”
“Not a giant speech.”
“No.”
“We don’t tell them details they don’t need.”
“No.”
“But we don’t lie.”
Rachel nodded.
Daniel looked at the notebook.
“And the necklace.”
Rachel touched the cover with her thumb.
“What about it?”
“I don’t want it.”
Her eyebrows lifted.
“Not right now.”
“Okay.”
“It was supposed to be Emily’s eventually.”
“Maybe.”
“You heard my mother.”
“She joked.”
“She meant it.”
Rachel looked uncertain.
Daniel almost insisted.
Then he stopped.
“I think she meant it.”
“That’s different.”
“Yes.”
He nodded.
“We keep it somewhere both of us know about until Emily is older.”
Rachel looked at him.
“Not in the basement.”
“No.”
“Not in a grave.”
Daniel laughed under his breath.
“No.”
She wiped the last tear from her cheek.
“What about the phone?”
“Mine.”
“Fair.”
“I’m going through all of it.”
Rachel’s posture changed.
Daniel noticed.
“Not your messages.”
“It was your phone.”
“You used it.”
“Only for the appraisal.”
“That’s what you’ve told me.”
Rachel’s face tightened.
Daniel held her gaze.
“If I’m going to believe that, I have to be able to verify what’s on my device.”
Rachel looked away.
He waited.
Finally she nodded.
“Okay.”
Daniel stood.
Rachel looked up.
“Where are you going?”
“Sofa.”
“Daniel.”
“What?”
“You don’t fit on it.”
“I’ll survive.”
She looked almost annoyed.
“You’re six-three.”
“I know my height.”
“The armrest will break your neck.”
“That may simplify tomorrow.”
Rachel stared at him.
Daniel regretted the joke.
Then Rachel made a sound halfway between a laugh and a sob.
“Don’t.”
“Sorry.”
“No. It was funny. I hate you.”
Daniel nodded.
“That seems fair.”
He slept badly.
At four twelve, Emily appeared beside the sofa.
Daniel woke to her breathing near his face.
He sat up too fast.
“What happened?”
“Nothing.”
He rubbed his eyes.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded.
“Bad dream?”
“No.”
“Bathroom?”
“No.”
Daniel looked at her.
Emily held the stuffed dog.
“Can I stay here?”
He moved his legs.
“Come on.”
She climbed beside him.
There was not enough room.
Her elbow pressed into his ribs.
The sofa arm forced his neck at an angle.
Rachel had been right.
Daniel stared at the dark ceiling.
After a few minutes Emily whispered, “Daddy?”
“Yeah?”
“Mom loves you.”
His throat tightened.
“I know.”
“She said.”
“When?”
“Before.”
“Before what?”
“The picture.”
Daniel was quiet.
Emily continued.
“She said she loves you but you make her crazy.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“That sounds like Mom.”
Emily played with the stuffed dog’s ear.
“Do you love her?”
“Yes.”
The answer came easily.
It surprised him.
Emily whispered, “Then why are you mad?”
Daniel looked down at her.
“Because loving somebody doesn’t make everything they do okay.”
Emily thought about this.
“Can you love and be mad?”
“Yes.”
“At the same time?”
“Yes.”
“That’s weird.”
“It is.”
She yawned.
“Mom loves Grandma too.”
Daniel stared at the ceiling.
“Yes.”
“She cried when Grandma died.”
“I know.”
“She kept the necklace because she loves Grandma.”
Daniel looked at her.
“Did Mom tell you that?”
Emily shook her head.
“I think.”
He rested his hand lightly on her hair.
“That might be part of it.”
Emily closed her eyes.
Daniel stayed awake long after she slept.
At seven, Noah came downstairs and found them.
He stared.
“You said you were sleeping on the sofa.”
“I was.”
“You’re breaking the rule.”
“What rule?”
“No kids sleeping downstairs.”
Daniel looked at Emily.
“Emergency exception.”
Noah nodded solemnly.
“Okay.”
Rachel came down ten minutes later.
She had changed nothing except her blouse, which was wrinkled from sleeping in it. Her blonde hair was tied loosely behind her head.
She stopped when she saw Emily beside Daniel.
Something crossed her face.
Daniel sat up.
“She came down at four.”
Rachel nodded.
Emily opened her eyes.
“Mom?”
“Morning.”
Emily sat.
Rachel remained several feet away.
Emily stared at her for a moment.
Then she climbed down and walked over.
Rachel did not move.
Emily wrapped her arms around her waist.
Rachel closed her eyes.
Her hands hovered in the air before settling on her daughter’s back.
Daniel looked away.
Noah went into the kitchen.
“What’s for breakfast?”
Rachel laughed quietly into Emily’s hair.
Daniel stood.
“Apparently civilization continues.”
Noah opened the pantry.
“Can I have cereal again?”
“No,” both parents said.
Noah looked offended.
Daniel made eggs.
Rachel burned toast because she forgot it was in the toaster.
Emily complained that one egg had a brown edge.
Noah asked whether duct tape punishment could be delayed because the family had bigger problems.
Daniel told him absolutely not.
Rachel laughed.
For twenty minutes, life behaved like itself.
Then Daniel placed the necklace on the table.
The children went quiet.
He had cleaned the pendant with a soft cloth but left the faded green paint near the clasp.
Emily stared at it.
“Can I touch it?”
Daniel looked at Rachel.
Rachel nodded.
Daniel placed the necklace in Emily’s palm.
Her hand seemed too small for the responsibility everyone had attached to it.
Emily touched the pendant with one finger.
“Grandma wore this.”
“Yes,” Daniel said.
“Can I wear it?”
“Not yet.”
“When?”
“When you’re older.”
“How old?”
Daniel glanced at Rachel.
She said, “Older than six.”
Emily frowned.
“That’s not a number.”
Daniel almost smiled.
“We’ll decide together.”
Emily looked at both of them.
“You agree?”
Rachel’s eyes met Daniel’s.
“On that.”
Emily nodded.
Daniel took the necklace back and placed it inside a small envelope.
Rachel said, “We need to tell you something else.”
Noah leaned back.
Daniel looked at her.
Rachel continued.
“Last night Dad and I said some things that may have made you think you have to decide who was right.”
Noah glanced at Daniel.
May you like
“You don’t,” Rachel said.
“I stole the necklace. I lied about it. I hid Dad’s phone. I told you two to keep something from him because I was afraid of getting in trouble.”
