Chapter 3
Daniel stared at Lauren’s hand hovering over the paper.
Then at her face.
“Why not?”
Lauren forced a laugh.
“Because it’s nothing. Just old medical paperwork. Your mom makes everything dramatic.”
Daniel picked up the paper anyway.
Lauren took one step back.
He unfolded it.
The text was creased and stained, but one line was clear enough.
Emergency contact.
Daniel Hayes.
His own name.
His breath stopped.
Then he saw the date.
Three weeks ago.
Three weeks ago, he had been overseas, sitting in a temporary barracks room, counting the days until home.
Every night, he had texted Lauren.
How’s Mom?
And every night, Lauren had answered the same way.
She’s fine.
Just dramatic.
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
He lifted his eyes from the paper to his wife.
“Why is my name on this form?”
Lauren opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
That silence told him everything.
Margaret covered her face.
Daniel stood slowly.
“Mom,” he said, voice low, “what happened?”
Margaret shook so badly he had to steady her shoulder.
“Please don’t be angry,” she whispered.
“At you?”
She looked up at him like she wasn’t sure.
That almost broke him.
This woman had raised him alone.
Worked double shifts after his father died.
Wore the same winter coat for seven years so he could have football cleats.
Drove four hours in a thunderstorm because he had a fever at college and didn’t want to be alone.
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And now she was afraid he would be angry because she needed help.
Read Part 4 to find out what Lauren had hidden from Daniel while he was deployed overseas.
