Page 56 of No Greater Love
"Just hanging out with Paige. She's building some kind of architectural marvel with Legos. Why?"
"Could I... would it be okay if I came over? I know it's last minute, and if you have plans?—"
"Of course," he said immediately, and I could hear the shift in his voice, the way it became more alert. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah," I lied. "Just... had a rough shift. Thought maybe I could see you both."
"Absolutely. We'll order pizza. Paige will be thrilled."
"Thank you," I said, and had to end the call before my voice broke.
As I drove toward Nate's house, I tried to push the image of Mia's innocent face out of my mind. Tried to stop hearing Jessica's devastating sobs. Tried to forget the moment when I'd had to explain to a mother that the person she trusted with her child had destroyed that child's innocence.
But I couldn't. It sat in the pit of my stomach like a stone, heavy and sharp-edged.
I needed to see Paige safe and happy. I needed to see Nate's fierce protectiveness in action. I needed to remember that there were good people in the world, people who would die before they let harm come to a child.
I needed to remember that love could be trusted.
Even if I wasn't sure I believed it anymore.
eighteen
nate
"Dad?"Paige looked up from her elaborate Lego city. "Who was that?"
"Tasha. She's coming over for dinner."
Paige's face lit up like Christmas morning. "Really? Can we show her my new book? And can we make s'mores? Oh, and I want to show her how I finally got the bridge to stay up!"
"Sure, kiddo. We'll do whatever makes her happy." I ruffled her hair. "She had a hard day at work, so let's make sure she has a good time here, okay?"
Paige nodded solemnly. At eleven, she was already developing the same protective instincts I had. "Like when you have the dreams and need quiet time?"
Sometimes my daughter's emotional intelligence caught me off guard. "Sort of like that, yeah."
By the time Tasha's car pulled into the driveway forty-five minutes later, Paige had reorganized her entire Lego display and I'd ordered pizza from the place that made Tasha's favorite margherita. Through the front window, I watched her sit in her car for a long moment before getting out, like she was gathering herself.
When I opened the door, she looked perfectly normal. Professional smile in place, shoulders squared, every inch the competent ER nurse I worked with every day. But you could see the cracks if you knew where to look—the slight tightness around her eyes, the way her hands clenched and unclenched at her sides.
"Hey there," I said softly, stepping aside to let her in.
"TASHA!" Paige bounded into the hallway, launching herself at Tasha with the enthusiasm of a golden retriever.
Tasha caught her in a hug, and I watched her hold on just a beat too long, her arms tightening around Paige's small frame like she needed the contact.
"Hey, kiddo," Tasha said, her voice steadier now. "I hear you've been doing some engineering today."
"Want to see? I built an entire city! With a working drawbridge!" Paige grabbed Tasha's hand, tugging her toward the living room.
For the next three hours, Tasha threw herself into being with us with an intensity that would have seemed normal to anyone who didn't know her well. She admired every detail of Paige's Lego city. She helped us build an even more elaborate bridge. She laughed at Paige's jokes and listened with rapt attention to a detailed explanation of why certain structural elements were more stable than others.
But I noticed the way she kept reaching out to touch Paige—smoothing her hair, adjusting her sleeve, letting her hand linger on Paige's shoulder. I noticed how she watched me interact with my daughter, something almost hungry in her expression.
During dinner, Paige regaled us with stories from school, and Tasha hung on every word like it was the most fascinating thing she'd ever heard. When Paige got pizza sauce on her chin, Tasha was there with a napkin before I could even reach for one.
"Can we watch a movie?" Paige asked as we finished eating. "The new one I got from the library?"
