Page 14 of Stay with Me

He released a scoffing laugh. “What? You and Acey work out what to do with me?”

Isaac’s words about Dawson from a short while ago pushed to the front of her mind:“After losing your mum, you’re both running scared. He’s hiding behind his blindness.”

Was Dawson running scared? And if he was healed of his blindness, would he only find something else to hide behind?

She couldn’t think about that right now. Maybe a healing wouldn’t make all his problems go away. But a miracle as powerful as regaining his sight would change him. How could it not?

She peered through the door into the kitchen. Acey was gone for the day at the secondary school where he taught British history. She and Dawson were completely alone. Even so, she was by nature a cautious person. And with her connection to Dr. Lionel and possible terrorist organizations, she had to be careful not to draw any undue attention to Dawson or herself.

In fact, while driving to his flat in the old part of Canterbury, she’d contemplated how they would explain his healing to doctors, friends, and acquaintances, especially after countless specialists had determined there was nothing more they could do. She still hadn’t come up with an answer.

It wouldn’t take long for people to wonder about the source of the miracles and make connections to the ancient holy water. After all, most people who were familiar with Canterbury’s history understood the rich heritage of pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Thomas Becket and the healings pilgrims had once experienced after drinking the holy water sold at the cathedral. The stained-glass windows in Canterbury Cathedral’s Trinity Chapel testified to the miracles.

First Ellen and Harrison. Then Dawson. Would the ill and diseased from all over the world descend upon Canterbury,hoping to drink holy water and experience a miracle too? Would more criminals like Dr. Lionel show up and make demands?

“Listen, Dawson.” She cradled the bottle in her hands, afraid she’d drop and break it. The ancient glass was as fragile as the decision. Would it bring the happiness she hoped for, or would it shatter their lives into more broken pieces?

“I want you to drink some medicine I found.” She lowered her voice and again glanced toward the kitchen.

“I’ve already got all the medicine I need.” He tipped up his beer and took a long swig.

“This is different.”

“What is it?”

“You have to promise you won’t say a word about this to anyone.”

Something in her tone must have caught his attention. He shifted his head slightly, the closest he ever came to giving her his full attention. “Is it illegal?”

“No.” She couldn’t keep the irritation from her tone. “You know me better than that.”

He shrugged and turned away, already losing interest.

“Promise you’ll stay silent on this?” She had to make him understand the danger and strife that could come as a result of the holy water, but she also didn’t want to scare him away from drinking it.

The heated discussion on the TV distracted him even more.

She grabbed the remote on his bed, pointed it at the screen, and hit the power button.

Silence fell over the room.

“Turn it back on.” Dawson’s command came out a menacing growl.

“Listen to me first.”

“That’s all I can do.” He spat out the words bitterly. “Listen to you rant about one thing or another every day.”

The words stabbed into her, just the way they always did. She tried to remind herself that he didn’t mean what he was saying. His accusations weren’t even true. First, she didn’t see him every day. And secondly, she never ranted. She was, instead, a woman of few words.

Even so, she took a step back, as if that could ease the impact of his harshness.

It never did.

All she wanted to do was help him. Why couldn’t he see that?

She brushed her thumb over the rounded body of the glass. This momentous occasion wasn’t going the way she’d planned. She should have known it wouldn’t. Nothing with Dawson ever went according to plan.

“Give me back my remote.” He waggled his fingers at her.

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