Chapter 8
“Of course.”
“Did Alexander arrange any surprise for Grace before the day she died?”
The silence on the other end lasted too long.
“Daniel?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Please don’t protect him from me.”
“I’m not.”
“Did he ask you to purchase anything for her?”
Another pause.
Then Daniel exhaled. “There was a delivery.”
“What kind?”
“A child-sized piano.”
I closed my eyes.
Grace had wanted a piano for nearly a year. She used to tap melodies on the kitchen table and announce that she was practicing for Carnegie Hall.
“Where was it delivered?”
“To the Hayes residence.”
“When?”
“Two days before the accident.”
“Why didn’t I see it?”
“Mr. Hayes asked us to place it in the storage room until the surprise.”
My heart began to beat painfully.
“Why didn’t he tell me?”
“He said he wanted it to be special.”
“Did he tell you he had forgotten about it?”
“No.”
“Then why wasn’t he with Grace?”
Daniel did not answer.
I already knew.
The piano had been waiting in the dark while Alexander arranged flowers for Olivia.
But there was something else.
“Who gave Grace the key?”
Daniel’s voice changed. “I don’t know.”
“Think.”
“It may have been Mr. Hayes himself. He asked me to put a red tag on the key so Grace would recognize it.”
The room seemed to tilt.
Alexander had planned something for Grace.
He had bought the piano.
He had shown her the key.
And then he had failed to pick her up.
The truth did not erase what he had done.
It did not make the hospital room disappear or return warmth to Grace’s hand.
But it complicated the anger I had built to keep myself standing.
I called Alexander.
He answered on the first ring.
“Emily?”
“Did you buy Grace a piano?”
Silence.
“How did you—”
“Did you?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Two days before…”
His voice broke before he finished.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I wanted to surprise her.”
“You forgot.”
“I know.”
“You were arranging Olivia’s birthday while Grace waited for you.”
“I know.”
“Did you remember the piano that day?”
“No.”
The honesty was almost worse than an excuse.
I looked down at Grace’s note.
“She thought you had a surprise for her.”
“I found her box.”
“She wrote me a letter.”
“I know.”
“She believed in you.”
Alexander’s breath trembled. “I know.”
For a while, neither of us spoke.