A Daughter's Trust

One who could have bridged the chasm between them, and given Christy the family she’d so obviously needed.

“Yes.” Nancy continued to hold his gaze through the tears in her eyes. “Son, I’m sorry. So, so sorry. You were always such a good boy. So bighearted and believing in me even when no one else did, swearing that I was sober when I wasn’t, so they wouldn’t take you away from me again. Holding my head when I was sick. Telling me I could make it when I didn’t believe in myself….”

At first, Rick didn’t understand what she was talking about. And then, slowly, memories started to surface. Years of moments that he’d forgotten.

“I wanted to believe you’d found the love you wanted, that you had a wonderful family who adored you. You deserve no less than that.”

He wasn’t

sure about that. He was a guy like any other. He got angry. Said stupid things. Let people down.

“I’ve been through some rough times in this life,” she told him. “And what I know for certain is that there’s no hell worse than losing a child….”

Rick looked into her eyes and saw his own anguish. He saw himself. Someone so filled with pain even breathing was a struggle. Someone who had the strength to take the next step anyway. And the next.

Just as she’d always done. In spite of her demons. Just as she’d taught him to do.

“I wish I could have known her. And even more, I wish I could have been here for you when you lost her.” Tears ran down her cheeks. And then his. He reached for his mother’s hand.

“Would you like to see her room?”

ADAM FRASER WAS IN intensive care. He was allowed only two visitors at a time. Sue had to call down to the nurse’s station from outside the unit. And was told there was already someone in with him. The nurse buzzed her into the unit and directed her to the family waiting room.

Belle and Emily were already there. Emily sat in a far corner, flipping too quickly through a magazine to be reading. “We don’t know anything yet,” Belle told Sue as she met her at the door. “Joe’s in with him now. Dad’s on his way,” she finished with a grimace.

Tense, afraid for her mother, for Joe—and for a man she barely knew—Sue quickly perused the room. They had it to themselves. Until a man with dark red hair walked in behind her. He was dressed casually, in jeans and a flannel shirt, and she was certain she’d never seen him before. Yet she felt as though she had. There was something familiar about him. His eyes, maybe?

He caught her staring at him. And abruptly turned his back on the room to study a nutrition chart hanging on the wall.

With another glance at her aunt in the corner, Sue said, “Your mother hasn’t stopped at a page since I’ve been here. She just keeps flipping….”

“Through one magazine after another. Yeah, she’s worried about Adam. And about what Dad’s going to do—or say—when he gets here.”

“He hasn’t come to his senses yet about Adam?”

“Not at all. If anything, he’s getting more agitated by the whole thing.”

Uncle Sam and agitation were not a good combination. Sue looked at her aunt and wondered, not for the first time, why she put up with Sam. Why she stayed married to him. Especially now that Belle was out of the house. Emily couldn’t have an easy life.

Footsteps in the hall interrupted her thoughts, and she and Belle turned together.

“Joe!” Sue hurried forward, took both of her friend’s—cousin’s—hands. “How is he? How are you?”

“They don’t know anything yet,” Joe said to a place slightly to the right of her left ear. “He’s still unconscious. But all preliminary tests look good. His heart appears to be fine. Blood’s a little thick, but nothing alarming. There’s brain activity. But they won’t really know the extent of any damage until he wakes up.”

He pulled his hands away. “And I’m fine…. Daniel?” As he spotted the other man in the waiting room, Joe left her immediately. “Hey, brother. Good to see you.” The men exchanged a half handshake, half hug.

The cold, detached man was Daniel Fraser? Joe’s idol when they were growing up. Adam’s younger brother by twenty years. Which made him, what, thirty-eight now?

And Sue’s uncle.

“How is he?” she heard Daniel ask before the two men walked out into the hall.

“Who was that?” Belle asked, coming up beside her.

“My uncle Daniel.” Her uncle. Not Belle’s. It was all so confusing.

After telling Belle everything she knew about Adam, Sue called her parents and left a message they could retrieve as soon as they got off the plane.