Page 51 of Jael

“Are you okay? You don’t sound well.”

“I, uh… My dad. He’s not—He’s?—”

“Gregory? Has something happened?”

“He’s dead.” She was grateful the words finally fell out of her mouth, although she still struggled to make them stick in her mind.

Christopher was silent for a moment. “Are you in any danger?”

“No.”

“Where are you?”

“I’m—”

“Are you at your dad’s?”

“Yes.” One-word answers. That was what she could handle. Christopher understood that.

“You stay where you are. I’ll be there soon.”

“No—” She didn’t want Christopher, she wanted—but she pushed the thought away. She couldn’t deal with that right now. “Yeah, okay.”

“Hang in there. Don’t worry about anything. I’ll take care of it.”

She nodded at the phone before Christopher hung up. Her attention went back out the window to keep from focusing on everything that lay before her. Christopher said he would handle it. That was a good thing. He was more than capable.

A choked yelp of surprise came from behind.

“Mr. Heber!” Sofia shouted, clutching the pendant around her neck.

Jael hurried over to her, dropping an arm over her shoulder before directing her out of the room. “I’m sorry, Sofia. I should have come to find you right away. I don’t want you to see this.”

“What happened?” Sofia stretched her head over her shoulder to get another look at the room.

“I don’t know. Christopher’s on his way. He’ll know what to do next.”

Sofia made the sign of the cross, then wilted, bumping into a table and nearly knocking a vase off.

“You need to sit down,” Jael said, relieved that she had something to do. She led Sofia to an old decorative chair in the hall. “Let me get you a drink of water.”

“I should be the one getting you a drink,” Sofia said, fanning herself.

Jael rubbed her arm. “It’s okay. Everything will be okay. Can you wait here a second while I get you a drink?”

“No, you must be—I’m sorry. I’m so—your father.”

“I know. It will be okay.”

She squeezed Sofia’s hands and watched her until she turned a corner and went to the kitchen.

The water overflowed in the glass she filled, then she had to set it on the counter to steady her shaking hands. She dropped her head, breathing slowly.

“Everything will be okay.”

Her head spun, and she followed the slackening in her legs to the floor, resting her forehead on the cupboard while she waited for the giddiness to pass. She didn’t know how long she remained close to passing out, but somewhere through the fog, she heard the door.

“Jael?” Christopher called. But she kept her lips pressed firmly together for fear that any change to her demeanor would send her into the blackness.

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