Chapter 6 - The Favor Daniel Wanted
At first I thought Daniel might be innocent. Children carry the secrets of their parents without understanding them. I was willing to give him that chance.
Then he came to my house without Emily.
He arrived with soup, expensive tea, and a look of concern that never reached his eyes.
“Emily says you're digging into some old files,” he said.
“Thomas was her father. I'm allowed to remember him.”
“Of course. I only worry that stress could affect your recovery.”
“Who is Andrew Mercer?”
The spoon in Daniel's hand clicked against the bowl.
“I've never heard of him.”
I placed Eleanor's photograph on the table.
Daniel stared for too long.
“Old family acquaintance,” he finally said.
“Five seconds ago, you'd never heard of him.”
“Margaret, what do you want from me?”
“The truth.”
He leaned back, exhausted by the effort of appearing patient. “Look, Emily's finally happy. Why risk that over a tragedy from nearly two decades ago?”
“Because the tragedy killed her father.”
His face hardened.
“There are certain assets in Thomas's name that legally complicate this situation. If you sign a limited release, we can make sure Emily is provided for.”
He slid a document across the table.
I read the heading: WAIVER OF CLAIMS AND CONFIDENTIALITY.
“You brought this to my kitchen?”
“It protects everyone.”
“No. It protects someone.”
I pushed the paper back.
Daniel stood and straightened his jacket. At the doorway he turned once more.
“Some families lose everything because they can't leave the past alone.”
When he walked away, I noticed he had left something beneath the soup container: a copy of my latest oncology appointment schedule.
May you like
I had never given it to him.
After Daniel left, I sat looking at the untouched soup until it turned cold. He knew my appointment times, which meant he'd either persuaded Emily to share them or found another way into information I considered private. I called the clinic and asked staff to review who was authorized to receive updates. The receptionist was kind and efficient. When she confirmed that only Emily had my permission, I felt both relieved and ashamed that I now needed to think about such things in my own family.
