Chapter 6 - Daniel Comes Back
The fire at St. Luke’s thrift shed had started at 2:17 a.m.
Daniel had arrived at the hospital at 2:43.
Grace knew because the security guard had written it down.
He came carrying flowers.
White lilies.
Grace hated lilies.
He knew that.
When the nurse told her Daniel was asking to see her, Grace almost said no.
Then she changed her mind.
Rosa stared at her. “Bad idea.”
“Yes.”
“Very bad.”
“I know.”
“That doesn’t make it better.”
“No.”
Grace asked the deputy to stand just outside the open door.
Daniel entered alone.
He looked exhausted. His hair was messy. His eyes were red.
For half a second, Grace hated herself for remembering how safe those eyes had once made her feel.
He set the lilies on the counter.
“I’m so glad you’re okay.”
Rosa stood in the corner.
Daniel looked at her bandaged arm.
“You too.”
Rosa said nothing.
Grace folded her hands over her belly. “Why did you remove the ropes?”
Daniel blinked.
“I didn’t.”
“Why did you burn the church shed?”
His face barely changed.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Grace nodded.
Daniel stepped closer. The deputy shifted outside the door.
“Grace, listen to me. You were upset last night. We argued. You took the old car. Rosa followed you. I don’t know how you ended up on those tracks.”
“Say it again.”
“What?”
“That I was upset.”
“You were.”
“Say I was confused.”
Daniel exhaled through his nose. “I didn’t say confused.”
“You will.”
His mouth tightened.
For a moment, the gentle husband disappeared.
Then he was back.
“Come home,” he said softly. “We can fix this before it becomes something ugly.”
Rosa actually laughed.
Daniel glanced at her.
Grace said, “It became ugly when your mother threw the key into the grass.”
Daniel’s eyes flicked toward the deputy.
A mistake.
Tiny.
But real.
Grace saw it and understood.
He didn’t know Victoria had thrown the key.
Which meant Daniel had not been there for the first part.
His story and Victoria’s story had been built separately.
Grace leaned back against the pillow.
“Where was your mother before you reached the tracks?”
Daniel went still.
May you like
And for the first time since the train passed, Grace felt something warmer than fear.
She felt a crack open in his lie.
