Then she shook her head once.
“Daniel,” she whispered, “not here.”
The words were gentle, but they landed heavily.
Not here.
Not in front of Jennifer.
Not in this house.
Not while the walls were listening.
I closed the box.
“All right,” I said. “Then we’ll leave.”
Jennifer’s eyes widened. “Leave? Daniel, everyone is inside waiting for you.”
“No,” I said. “They’re not. They don’t even know I’m here.”
Her lips pressed together.
That confirmed it.
I turned to Emma. “Get whatever you need.”
She looked toward the house, and for the first time I saw panic move across her face.
“I don’t have much upstairs,” she said.
My throat tightened. “What do you mean?”
She swallowed. “Most of my things are
in the guest room.”
Jennifer quickly stepped forward. “That’s not what it sounds like. She moved there temporarily because Mother’s back was hurting and—”
“Enough,” I said.
The word wasn’t loud, but it ended the sentence.
From inside the house, laughter rolled through the open doors, followed by Michael’s voice calling for another bottle of champagne.
Emma looked at me, then back at the sink full of dishes.
“I should finish,” she said automatically.
I reached for her hand carefully, giving her enough time to pull away.
She didn’t.
Her fingers were cold despite the heat around us.
“No,” I said. “You shouldn’t.”
Something inside her seemed to loosen. Not enough to fall apart, but enough for her eyes to shine.
We walked through the back hallway together.
Jennifer followed us, whispering my name, trying to explain, trying to control the shape of the moment before it reached anyone else.
But the moment had already escaped her.
As we entered the main dining room, the music was still playing. My mother was seated at the head of the table as if she owned the place. Michael had one arm around a woman I didn’t recognize. Jennifer’s husband, Paul, was laughing with two guests while cutting into a steak.Support Causes
Then Margaret saw me.
Her fork stopped in midair.
One by one, faces turned.
The room fell into silence so suddenly the music seemed obscene.
Michael blinked twice, then grinned too broadly. “Big brother! Look who decided to come home!”
He came toward me with open arms, but his steps slowed when he saw Emma beside me.
