Something rested inside my windowsill--a white cardboard box, like something you'd put a present in. My name was written across the top. I picked it up and was surprised by its weight. I backed away from the window and pulled off the lid. There was a note on top of a large paper-wrapped bundle. I recognized the handwriting from my childhood.
Gracie,
You are right, if I love you, then I should leave. I have already caused so much damage to your family. Staying only puts you all in greater danger. I do love you, so I will go. But I wanted you to see that I've been trying to make things right. I don't just come here to ruin your life. Will you please given this to your father? If I tried to give it to him in person, he would take it. I wanted to fulfill my of ligation. But it would to wring to stay until I had it all. I've kept only a small amount to buy supplies. I'll send more when! Eart it.
Please tell Jude that I am gone. Tell him I will never return for his sake, and yours. I'll love you always,
Daniel
I dropped the note and un wrapped the bundle. It was stacks of bills--thousands of dollars to replace the money he'd stolen from the parish. This was Daniel's mysterious "obligation." How long must it have taken him to earn it back?
But more important, how long had this been in my room? Was Daniel gone already?
I ran down the stairs to Dad's study, hoping he would know where Daniel might go. The room was empty. I realized that even though I didn't have school, it was still a weekday. I bounded to the kitchen, where Mom was paying bills at the table.
"Where's Dad?" I practically shouted. "Is he at the parish?" Mom raised her eyebrows. "He and Don went out to the shelter."
"What? I thought that was tonight."
"Don got called for an extra shift at the market tonight. He didn't want to miss delivering his hams, so Dad took him early."
"When did they leave?"
"Ten minutes ago."
Urrgghh! I wouldn't be able to reach him for at least another twenty minutes. "Would it kill us to buy a couple of cell phones?!" I shouted, and threw up my hands.
"Grace!" Mom dropped her checkbook.
"Seriously. Life would be so much easier." I grabbed the minivan keys off the hook and went to the garage door.
"I need to pick up Charity from school," she called. But I didn't stop. I drove in the direction of Oak Park. Too bad I didn't have a superhuman sense of smell--I could just follow Daniel's scent. I was halfway to Maryanne Duke's when something told me he wouldn't still be at his apartment. I flipped an illegal U-turn and headed toward Main Street. He said he needed supplies. Maybe he'd be at the market.
I parked the van behind a motorcycle in the lot. Was that the same bike we rode into the city that night? If so, it meant Daniel was planning on taking off to somewhere far away--far enough that he wouldn't just run on his own two feet. Far enough that I wouldn't be able to find him. I ran into the store, passed several kids from my school picking up their dance flowers at the floral counter, and went straight up to Mr. Day at the cash register.
"Have you seen Daniel?" I asked, interrupting Lynn Bishop, who was purchasing a red rose boutonniere and bottle of hairspray.
Mr. Day looked up from the register. "He just quit, dear. I think he's headed out of town." I swore--not quite under my breath.
Mr. Day cleared his throat. "He may still be in the back. I asked him to--" But I was already headed for the door marked employees only. No one was in the back room, but I noticed a door that led out to the parking lot. I bolted outside just in time to see a helmeted driver cruise by on the motorcycle.
"Daniel!" I shrieked, but my voice was nothing against the roar of the engine as the bike sped away. "Don't leave."
The world closed in on me, spinning. I had no more breath in my chest. My knees felt soft. I wished for something to grab on to--to keep me from falling.
But then I was being pulled up instead of sinking to the pavement. Strong arms wrapped around me. Warm breath tangled with my hair.
"Don't leave," I said.
"I'm here, Grace," he said. "I'm here."
A FEW MINUTES LATER
Daniel held me until I could breathe again. The only thing obscuring us from the full view of everyone on Main was a stinking Dumpster, but I didn't care. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him.
He kissed me back. His lips firm but yielding, hard yet soft. He was holding back--keeping me safe.
I cupped my hand over the warm stone pendant of his necklace, holding it tight against the nape of his neck as I looked him straight in his dark brown eyes and said, "I love you." Daniel's hands pressed against the small of my back, pulling me hard against his body. He kissed me deep and strong. My knees melted softer than before.
He pulled back slightly, his eyebrows furrowed. "Do you know what that means?"
"Yes. It means I'm the one who can cure you."
He pulled away. "No, Grace. I'll never ask you to do that. I can't possibly ask you to kill ..." He shook his head. "And it's too dangerous."
"I don't care. I'll do it."
"Grace, we're not talking about a little prick with a knife and a little blood on your end. You'd have to kill me."
"Don't act like I haven't thought this through."
"Have you, Grace? Do you realize it's not just me you'd have to kill? The letter said to plunge the knife into the wolf's heart. I'd have to be in full wolf form, and that would be too dangerous for you. I'd rather go to hell than ask you to do that."
I stepped back for a second, creating a gap between us. I hadn't thought that through. I hadn't even considered any physical dangers on my end--staring down a werewolf that knew I wanted to kill it.
I stepped closer to him again. "You won't have to ask." I took his hand in mine. "I'd do anything to save you."
"Anything?"
"Yes."
"I won't let you. I can't..."
"Then why did you stay? Why didn't you leave as soon as you knew what the cure was?"
"Because ..."
"Because this is what you really want. You hoped I'd come to realize that this is what you need." All this time, I'd been trying to fix Daniel--save him--but you can't save someone unless he wants to be saved. I understood that now. Like I understood a lot of things. I squeezed his hand. "If this is what you want, then let me do it for you." Daniel looked up at the sky and scratched behind his ear. "You really are one of a kind. I mean, it's not every day my girlfriend offers to kill me."