Part 26 (2/2)
”Just the one.”
”Anything,” he answered. He didn't understand his emotions, couldn't fathom his heart. He thought that perhaps this was because he suddenly wasn't alone in this anymore. For whatever reason, Mary had seen the place, too. And not only that, but for some reason only she and G.o.d knew, she had taken care of his little girl.
And then Mary said it: ”Who was the woman who rose up out of the water?”
Robert did his best to get through it. Mary followed his story, soaking up each detail more avidly than the last. She asked logical questions so that he had to back up and fill in gaps sometimes, and in the retelling it all became clearer to him, as well.
He couldn't take his eyes off of her. She leaned against the slumbering engine as she listened, running her fingers through her hair and encouraging it to flutter in the wind. He didn't think she knew how beautiful she was, how breathtaking. He nearly opened his mouth to tell her, but stopped, ashamed of himself. He hadn't seen his daughter yet, but was quick to consider hitting on the first girl who'd been nice to him in a long time. What an a.s.shole he was.
Except it wasn't that simple. Here was this girl, woman really, who'd been so utterly kind to his daughter. And why?
Then came the kicker: She had listened to a story that any educated, self-respecting woman would have considered to be, at best, utter bulls.h.i.+t, and at worst evidence of severe mental deficiency, but her only response was a smile.
”Got somewhere to stay?” she asked.
He blinked at her, dumbfounded. ”Ah, no, I'm not-”
”Of course you'll stay here. You need all the help you can get, Mister.”
”But, I'm-”
”You're staying with us. Jenn is one p.i.s.sed-off teen, and you'll have to reintroduce yourself at some point. It won't be easy.”
”I'm scared to death.”
”Good.”
”What about Grady?”
Mary laughed, a high-pitched giggle, and said, ”She's such a teddy bear, it's ridiculous.”
They headed back, and Robert's heart beat faster and faster. His hands were ice, he couldn't feel his feet, and he was s.h.i.+vering even though it wasn't cold.
When they returned to the bungalow, Mary grabbed his hand, pulled him up the stairs and through the front door.
Grady headed them off at the kitchen. She glared at Mary. ”Now he's welcome in our home?”
”I guess we should talk.”
Grady's eyebrows rose and her mouth twisted into a mocking sneer. ”You think?”
Mary turned to him. ”We'll be a few,” she told him sweetly.
”Okay,” said Robert, took a look around for a place to sit, but Mary grabbed him by the arm.
”Your daughter,” she said. ”She's upstairs.”
He nodded, took a deep breath.
2.
”What in all of h.e.l.l do you think you're doing?” Grady said hotly as soon as they were outside.
”That's his daughter upstairs.”
”Yeah, and he hasn't-”
Mary put a restraining hand on Grady's shoulder. Grady stood there breathing hard, her eyes burning. ”He was very sick. Remember when Jenn was eleven? The bathroom that morning?”
Grady relaxed, c.o.c.ked her head, rolled her eyes. ”You know I do.”
”She was burying the bird we'd bought her and sobbing, hyperventilating, almost.”
”Oh G.o.d, don't do this, come on-”
”And we tried everything to calm her down, but she couldn't get a hold of herself for hours, and then-”
”Yeah, I know, bonehead me.”
”You mentioned her father, and boy did the tears stop.”
”Yeah, long enough for her to fly into a rage,” said Grady triumphantly.
”True, but that's when we both realized she hadn't buried her father. We all thought he was dead, Grady, don't you remember?”
”Actually, I remember that Mary and me thought he'd kicked the bucket, but you, oh but you had other ideas, didn't you?”
”Don't laugh at me.”
”Okay,” said Grady, meekly.
”Jenn had to have closure.”
”Come on, don't you think-”
”Ever wonder what not hating your father might be like?”
Grady's face went flat. She clenched her fists.
”Just because you hate yours,” Mary continued, ”doesn't mean we all should.”
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