His voice barely existed.
She immediately covered herself, pulling the blanket back toward her with shaking hands.
“I’m sorry.”
Those two words broke something inside him.
Not because she had done something wrong.
Because she was apologizing for being hurt.
“Why are you saying sorry?” Daniel whispered.
Rachel looked away.
“Because this is my fault.”
“No.”
He shook his head.
“No, Rachel. Don’t say that.”
Behind him, Margaret remained silent.
Too silent.
Daniel turned slowly.
His mother was no longer wearing the confident expression she had carried into the room.
The certainty was gone.
For the first time in weeks, Margaret looked afraid.
And that fear told Daniel more than any confession could have.
“Mom,” he said quietly.
Margaret blinked.
“What?”
“What happened to her?”
Margaret immediately looked offended.
“Don’t look at me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like I did something.”
Rachel closed her eyes.
A small sound escaped her.
A sound Daniel had never heard from her before.
Not sadness.
Not anger.
Fear.
