Chapter 11 - The Wedding Nobody Knew About
Daniel read the marriage certificate three times. The date was eight months ago. The witnesses were strangers. The address was an apartment Victor owned in the next county.
"She married Dad's best friend," he said. "And every Sunday she sat in the front pew wearing Dad's wedding ring."
"People can marry again," I said carefully.
"That's not what hurts. She looked me in the eye and told me Victor was only helping her manage investments."
Nina shook her head. "Your mother was afraid you would examine the books if you knew how close they were."
Daniel left the room for several minutes. When he returned, he had washed his face, but his hands were still shaking.
"I was angry with you last month," he said to me. "Remember when you said the orchard checks didn't match the invoices? I told you not to upset Mom."
"I remember."
"You were right, and I made you feel small for noticing."
"I didn't need you to know everything," I said. "I needed you to listen when I said something was wrong."
He took that in without arguing.
Avery called with a new detail. Victor's company had filed preliminary plans with the county to convert the packing-house property into a distribution yard. They would have sold the building, cleared the workers out, and taken the proceeds to repay their investment losses.
"So the money wasn't going to save jobs," Daniel said.
"No," Avery answered. "It was going to buy them a way out."
That evening Ruth appeared outside the NICU waiting area. Security kept her beyond the doors, but Daniel could see her through the glass. She pressed both hands together as if praying. Then she held up a piece of paper.
On it she'd written: YOUR FATHER WOULD HAVE AGREED.
May you like
Daniel turned away. But in the reflection of the glass, I saw him stop.
Because Ruth had found the one lie that could still make him doubt himself.
