On Second Thought(136)

“It was Nathan’s,” she said softly. “More of a showpiece than a practical gift, but...well. I wanted you to have it. I know he loved you very much.”

My breath shook out of me. “Oh, Eloise. I loved him, too.” The words were barely audible.

“Yes,” she said. “I believe you.” She looked away then, at the room. “I should leave you. You need to rest.”

“Eloise? Would you like to...to stay in touch?”

Her face didn’t move. Then it crumpled for just a second, before she regained her composure. “Yes,” she said. “I’d like that very much.”

Because we were two women who’d loved her son, and that was a bond that wouldn’t be broken. Brooke would never forgive me, but Eloise... Eloise already had.

“Hello.” Daniel stood in the doorway, a pint of Ben & Jerry’s in his hand. “I’m Daniel Breton.”

“This is Nathan’s mother,” I said, wiping my eyes with the edge of Ainsley’s blanket.

“Yes, we’ve met,” Eloise said. “You came to Nathan’s wake.” Daniel nodded. “Congratulations on your beautiful daughter. Kate...” She turned to me. “It was good to see you, deah.”

Then she was gone, the strongest, most generous person I’d ever met.

“You okay, sweetheart?” Daniel asked. He put the ice cream on the bedside table and sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes worried.

I looked at him, then down at our little baby. “Never better,” I said. “Look what she brought the baby.”

He picked up the brush, tiny in his big hands, and glided it over Ainsley’s thatch of hair. “That was very nice of her.”

I swallowed. “Yes.”

“The nurse says we can go home tonight if you want.” He put the brush down and then placed one hand on our baby’s head, looked at me and smiled. Daniel the Hot Firefighter was gone, and in his place was Daniel the Daddy.

He put his other hand against my cheek, and I turned my head and kissed it. “Yes,” I said. “Let’s go home.”