Page 93 of Healed
“Give it time,” Cristie said. “I told him the truth. I insulted him by questioning his integrity on everything that’s in his heart right now. It’ll eat at him until he comes to tell me how wrong I am.”
“I hope you’re right,” Daniel said.
“If not, you know where he is and can come drag him out.”
“True,” Daniel said.
On the way out, he stopped at the tent belonging to the mother and her kids. He waited patiently until she came out of the tent.
“Thank you,” he said, holding out cash to her.
She looked at the cash in his hand, then at him. She shook her head. “I don’t take charity.”
“Consider it a finder’s fee. Without you, I might not have found him,” Daniel said.
Again, she shook her head.
Daniel sighed. “Why did you tell me where he was?”
She shrugged like she didn’t really care, but when he started to walk away, she spoke. “It’d be nice to have somebody just want to know I’m okay. My own people don’t even care enough to find out if I’m alive. Or if their grandkids are alive. You care about your son.”
“What’s your name?” Daniel asked.
“Giada.”
Daniel held out the money again. “Giada, please take it. Maybe use it to buy some things your kids might need. It’s not charity. It’s because I care.”
She hesitated, but eventually stepped close enough to take the money from him. “Thank you. I’ll pay you back one day.”
“I don’t want it back. But you’ll see me again. I’m going to talk to my people and see how we can help everybody out here. This is no way to live.”
“It is if you have no choice,” she said.
“You should have a choice. Everybody should.”
Chapter 16
Daisy was a night owl, doing some of her best work late at night. She didn’t usually get to the art studio until a little after noon each day, but this day she got up and got dressed early, before going into the kitchen. She made herself a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich and a strawberry/banana smoothie for breakfast, and packed her lunch which she’d eat around 5 that afternoon. When she was finished, she smiled to herself as she used the rest of the bacon to make another sandwich, then took about a half dozen of the oatmeal raisin cookies she’d made the night before and wrapped them in wax paper before putting them in a little brown paper lunch bag and pouring the rest of the smoothie still in the blender into a to-go cup. She gathered her purse, and everything else she’d need for the day, and slipped out much earlier than she usually did without saying anything to either of her parents.
She sipped her smoothie as she drove, smiling as she passed her art studio, intent on surprising Charlie with lunch, and a bag of cookies for Carson. She was happy. Truly happy for the first time in a long time, and Charlie was responsible for that. Not that her happiness was dependent on him, but he’d been patient. He’d listened when she’d finally confided in him, and he’d not blamed her for the mistakes she’d made. He’d even convinced her that none of the things she’d endured were her fault. And she believed him. She threw up a quick little prayer of thanks to whatever power may exist in the universe, and smiled even more brightly at the thought of seeing him, as she pulled into the parking lot in front of the office building Charlie worked in.
She took Charlie’s lunch, his smoothie, Carson’s cookies, and her keys, leaving everything else in the jeep as she ran in.She went right up to the front desk, smiling at the receptionist. “Good morning!” Daisy said.
“Good morning,” the girl returned. “How can I help you?”
“I’d like to see Charlie Blessey, please.”
“What’s your name?” the receptionist asked.
“Daisy Marchande’.”
“Okay,” the girl said as she wrote down Daisy’s name on a message form. When she was done she looked up at Daisy. “I’m sorry, but Charlie’s out for the day. May I give him a message when he returns?”
“That’s strange. I spoke to him last night and he said he had work today.”
“It was a last minute thing. He asked for a personal day of leave yesterday. I think it has something to do with his girlfriend. He’s been extra happy lately,” the girl said, smiling at her dreamily.
“Oh, okay. Have you met his girlfriend?” Daisy asked, afraid of the answer.
