Chapter 3

Grace had never cared for theater. She wouldn't even sit through a movie with me.

But her rules stopped being rules the moment Daryl Henson was involved.

The thought pulled a bitter little smile out of me.

"Sure. Have fun, you two."

Once they left, I started packing.

There was almost nothing to show for the years Grace and I had been together.

Early on, I'd badgered her into making a pair of handmade rings with me, and that was it. Nothing else proved we'd ever taken this seriously.

Even on my phone there were only a handful of photos of the two of us, because she said Daryl didn't like having his picture taken.

When I finished, I headed to the office.

Years ago I'd moved to this city for Grace.

Now that I'd decided to leave, I handed in my resignation.

People at work had always liked me, and my boss signed off without a fuss. He said I could go in three days.

After work I bought myself a small old-fashioned cake.

I sat alone at the table and ate it, quietly, all of it.

By the time Grace got home, I was nearly asleep.

She looked at me with something complicated in her face.

"Sorry. By the time the play ended, the cake shops were all closed."

I gave a soft laugh.

"It doesn't matter anymore."

Three hours earlier, I'd seen Daryl's post.

After the play, they'd driven up to Southcrest Summit to watch a meteor shower, and there'd been fireworks too.

I heard myself ask, "Grace. The meteor shower, the fireworks. Were they nice?"

Her voice went cold.

"Do you really have to be so snide about it?"

"Daryl and I finished the play, and someone nearby happened to mention there was a meteor shower and fireworks tonight. We decided to go on the spot."

She turned and went into the study.

The study light stayed on. Her phone kept pinging, over and over.

In the middle of the night, I went downstairs for water and my foot slipped.

I went straight down the stairs, tumbling several steps.

My stomach seized with pain, and the scrapes on my knees burned.

I tried to call out, but my throat was raw and no sound came.

I took my phone and called Grace. The line was busy.

I tried a voice call. She hung up on it.

I'd fallen into the corner by the wall, a spot tucked out of sight where no one would find me.

I was about to dial 911 when everything went black, and I passed out completely.

When I woke the next morning, Grace was already gone.

I dragged myself to the hospital alone.

The next time I came to, a doctor was standing at my bedside, his expression grave and worried.

"Sir, your tumor ruptured. We performed emergency surgery. A little later and your life would have been in danger."

The fear hit me late, and something twisted hard in my chest, and the tears came before I could stop them.

Right then, my phone buzzed.

A message from Grace.

"Daryl wants to have dinner with you tonight, to make up for last night."

I thought about it, then replied with one word. "Okay."

I was leaving anyway. Better to say everything clearly and be done with it.

That evening I went to the Western restaurant Daryl had booked.

When I pushed open the door to the private room, Grace and Daryl were leaning against each other, playing a game.

She never let herself look that relaxed in front of me, but with him she was a different person.

I didn't say much. I sat down.

The two of them did look well matched together.

Grace saw me and spoke, her tone a little stiff.

"Daryl says I upset you last night, not bringing you cake."

"Consider this dinner making it up to you."

Daryl propped his chin on his hand and blinked at me.

"Wow, big brother, I just noticed how deep your smile lines are. Even a man has to keep up appearances, you know."

I let out a small laugh.

"Then I should thank you for the reminder."

I ate that meal in silence.

Daryl talked nonstop about the amusing little things in his life, and Grace listened, laughing now and then.

The way she looked at him was a tenderness I'd never once seen.

Then Daryl suddenly looked up from his phone.

"Oh no, I ordered bubble tea but picked the wrong option. I set it to store pickup instead of delivery. I'll go get it."

Grace jumped in at once.

"Graham, Daryl had an appendectomy a while back, he shouldn't be walking around much. You go get it."

"I need to answer a few work emails anyway."

I looked at her for a few seconds, then stood and walked out of the restaurant.

I hadn't expected the bubble tea shop to be two miles away.

It took me a full forty minutes to get there.

A body fresh out of tumor surgery simply couldn't take that kind of strain.

Sweat poured off me, my face went white, and there wasn't a trace of color left in my lips.

By the time I'd picked up the drinks and started back, my legs were giving out and my whole body was shaking.

I set the bubble tea on the table and sat down, catching my breath.

Smiling, Daryl took one of the cups from me and drank a few mouthfuls.

Then his face flushed red, his breathing turned ragged, and he pitched forward all at once.