PART 49
Then one spring morning, Mom ran into him at the gardening club.
He was planting herbs.
She almost left.
Then stayed.
Daniel looked up.
“Hi.”
Mom said.
“Hi.”
He asked.
“How are you?”
“Good.”
“You?”
He thought.
“Learning.”
That answer impressed her.
Not.
Fine.
Not.
Better.
Learning.
PART 50
They talked for five minutes.
Nothing personal.
Then parted.
Mom called me afterward.
I asked.
“How do you feel?”
She said.
“Peaceful.”
That was new.
PART 51
Harold and Mom eventually married.
Small ceremony.
Garden.
Tulips.
Obviously.
Sophie was maid of honor.
I gave a toast.
Mom wore blue.
Not red.
Her choice.
Harold stayed until the very end.
Also obviously.
PART 52
Daniel sent a card.
No flowers.
No dramatic message.
Just.
Wishing you happiness.
Mom kept it for a week.
Then recycled it.
I asked.
“Why?”
She smiled.
“I don’t need souvenirs from healed wounds.”
Good line.
PART 53
Sophie grew up too.
She never forgot the briefcase.
At twenty-one, she confessed something.
“I stole it.”
I stared.
“What?”
She laughed nervously.
“I didn’t exactly pick it up from the ground.”
I knew there was more to that story.
Apparently, she had followed Daniel in her car.
He parked at Willow Creek.
Left the briefcase on the passenger seat.
Window slightly open.
Sophie saw him go inside.
Then waited.
She could see Evelyn through the lobby glass.
Daniel sat beside her.
Held her hand.
Sophie was so shocked she went back to his car.
The door had not fully latched.
She opened it.
Took the briefcase.
Then panicked.
I stared.
“That was incredibly unsafe.”
“I know.”
“You could have gotten in serious trouble.”
“I know.”
“Why didn’t you tell us?”
“I was fifteen.”
Fair.
Still terrible decision.
PART 54
I asked.
“Why were you crying?”
Sophie became quiet.
Then said.
“Because she looked like Grandma.”
“What?”
“Not physically.”
She shook her head.
“The way Evelyn looked at him.”
“Like she trusted him.”
That was the part that broke her.
Two older women.
Both trusting the same man.
For different reasons.
Neither fully informed.
