“On the night you and Alice visited your sister in Ohio… I was down. Failure plagued the building industry. I was laid off but couldn’t say. Far too embarrassed. I started drinking heavily.”
Alice slipped into a chair. “You were employed throughout. You worked daily.”
“I pretended. I left in the morning, applied for employment at the library for hours, then went to bars until home.” Kevin roughly wiped his eyes. Your dad found it out. When you were shopping, he called to offer assistance, seeing a problem.
My mind started to make sense of the fragments. Danny’s unexpected interest in Kevin’s work and my interruptions of private chats.
“Danny became the only person I could talk to,” Kevin said. I was not judged. He conducted mock interviews and assisted with job applications. He became my father in those months more than my own father.”
“The night of the accident,” I answered slowly, “what happened?”
Kevin’s face contracted. I phoned him. I was intoxicated in a pub outside town and couldn’t drive. Alice shouldn’t know how horrible things were. Danny promised to pick me up.
A slow, breaking wave hit me with the horrible reality. Danny fled our vacant house to save our son-in-law. They never returned.
“There was a truck,” Kevin murmured. The light was brilliant. Strike Danny’s side. “He died while trying to help me.”
Alice sounded like a wounded animal. Throughout, you made us believe it was just terrible luck. Random incident.”
“I couldn’t bear to tell you,” Kevin replied, crying. “I panicked and left after calling 911. Police just said Danny was alone in the automobile. I live with remorse every day.”
The memories rearranged as I sat dumbfounded. Unusual late-night drive, alcohol found in other driver’s system but not in Danny’s. and why my responsible spouse was out at midnight on Tuesdays.
“I go to his grave every week,” Kevin said. Joyce, I deliver the roses Daddy bought you. He always told me your seasonal favorites. I spoke with him. I talk about Jake’s childhood and my new career. Over and over, I apologize.” He raised his red-rimmed eyes. “He saved my life, and it cost him his.”
“Why didn’t you tell me? You seen my grief and knew… Alice hugged herself
