“I’m sorry to bother you,” I said, “but I thought you should know my father and Lucille were in a very bad car accident tonight.”
“No.”
“Yes, and Lucille is not coming home.”
His face seemed to sink inside his skull for a moment. “What are you saying, please?”
“She had very serious head injuries, and they are not holding out much hope. My father is upstairs with our doctor, a private-duty nurse, my uncle, and my husband. My father has a broken arm and a slight concussion. We’ll have to send up his breakfast in the morning.”
He stood speechless.
“I’m sorry,” I said, “but everything is going to change here now.”
I turned and walked away. He stepped out to look after me, perhaps to be sure he wasn’t dreaming, too. I met Ethan and Uncle Perry in the hallway, talking. The way they both looked at me as I approached convinced me that they had been talking about me and not about Daddy.
“How are you doing, Sam?” Uncle Perry asked.
“Okay,” I said. “Is Dr. Moffet with Daddy?”
“Yes.”
“He’s more than our doctor. He’s an old friend,” I said.
“The nurse’s name is Lila Millard. She says she’ll be fine sleeping on the sofa in the bedroom suite. I’ll be back in the morning. You’re going to the office, right?” he asked Ethan.
“Yes. I’ll get what I can organized and join you at the hospital.”
“I’m sure Teddy will insist on going back, too,” Uncle Perry said. He looked at me for a long moment before speaking. “You should get some rest now, Sam. It’s going to be a difficult few days.”
“She’ll be okay,” Ethan told him, and looked at me. “You want to go up to say good night to your father now and then go to bed yourself, honey. You look pretty tired.”
“Do I? Okay,” I said.
Uncle Perry hugged me and whispered, “I’m going to spend more time with you, Sam. I promise.”
“That’ll be nice,” I told him.
He kissed my cheek, nodded at Ethan, and left.
“You won’t wear your sister’s clothes tomorrow, will you, Semantha?”
“No, I don’t have to.”
“You don’t have to? Why did you have to now?”
I just smiled at him.
“Will you let me send for a stylist to repair what you’ve done to your hair?”
“I can go to the salon myself, Ethan,” I said. “Stop worrying about me so much.”
I started for the stairway. He hurried to catch up and take my arm to make me pause.
“Don’t let your father feel or think you’re happy about Lucille, Semantha. That would be a terrible, terrible mistake.”
“I think I know how to talk to my father, Ethan. I love my father, and he loves me. I wouldn’t do anything to hurt him or bring him more sorrow.”
“All right,” he said. “I’m going to sleep. Your uncle is right. It’s going to be a very difficult few days ahead.”