And why hadn’t he mentioned anything about this on the phone yesterday when I called to check in? “Wait here,” I whispered, tucking the blanket tighter around her shoulders. She caught my hand gently.
“Julia, please don’t be upset. Daniel asked me not to tell you. He said he didn’t want you worrying during your trip.”
Even now, lying on the cold floor in her weakened state, she was trying to shield me from conflict. I leaned closer and whispered, “Mom, don’t tell Daniel I came home early. Not yet.
Please.”
She nodded faintly, and I kissed her forehead, forcing myself to leave the house quietly, pretending I hadn’t seen what I saw. By noon, I came back again, this time loudly with bags in hand, as though I had just returned from my trip exactly on schedule. Daniel was in the kitchen making coffee, smiling as if nothing had happened.
“Hey,” he said casually. “How was your trip?”
I forced a smile. “Fine.
Anything new while I was gone?”
He shook his head. “Not really. Everything was fine here.”
And in that moment, I knew he had lied to me.
