“You’re wrong,” Myron said again.
He waited on the sidewalk across the street from their house.
Erik came out first. His face was tight, grim. Aimee and Claire followed. Myron stood there and watched. Aimee spotted him first. She smiled at him and waved. Myron studied that smile. It looked the same to him. The same smile he’d seen on the playground when she was three. The same one he’d seen in the basement a few weeks ago.
There was nothing different.
Except now the smile gave him a chill.
He looked at Erik and then at Claire. Their eyes were hard, protective, but there was something else there, something beyond exhaustion and surrender, something primitive and instinctive. Erik and Claire walked with their daughter. But they did not touch her. That was what Myron noticed. They were not touching their own daughter.
“Hi, Myron!” Aimee shouted.
“Hi.”
Aimee ran across the street. Her parents did not move. Neither did Myron. Aimee threw her arms around him, almost knocking him over. Myron tried to hug her back. But he couldn’t quite do it. Aimee gripped him harder.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
He didn’t say anything. Her embrace, it felt the same. It felt warm and strong. No different than before.
And yet he wanted it to end.
Myron felt his heart drop and shatter. God help him, he just wanted her to let go, to get her away from him. He wanted this girl he’d loved for so long to be gone. He took hold of her shoulders and gently pushed her off.
Claire was behind her now. She said to Myron, “We’re in a rush. We’ll get together soon.”
He nodded. The two women walked away. Erik waited by the car. Myron watched them. Claire was next to her daughter, but she still wouldn’t touch her. Aimee got in the car. Erik and Claire glanced at each other. They did not speak. Aimee was in the back. They both sat in the front. Natural enough, Myron supposed, but it still seemed to him as if they were trying to keep their distance from Aimee, as if they wondered—or perhaps knew—about the stranger who now lived with them. Claire looked back at him.
They know, Myron thought.
Myron watched the car pull away. As it disappeared down the street, he realized something:
He hadn’t kept his promise.
He hadn’t brought home their baby.
Their baby was gone.
CHAPTER 57
Four Days Later
Jessica Culver did indeed marry Stone Norman at Tavern on the Green.
Myron was in his office when he read about it in the paper. Esperanza and Win were both there too. Win was standing near a full-length mirror, checking out his golf swing. Win did that a lot. Esperanza watched Myron carefully.
“You okay?” she asked him.
“I am.”
“You realize that her getting hitched is the greatest thing that’s ever happened to you?”
“I do.” Myron put the paper down. “I came to a realization that I wanted to share with both of you.”
Win stopped his air swing midway. “My arm isn’t straight enough.”
Esperanza waved him quiet. “What?”
“I’ve always tried to run away from what I now see are my natural instincts,” Myron said. “You know. Playing the hero. You both warn me against it. And I’ve listened. But I’ve figured something out. I’m supposed to do it. I’ll have my defeats, sure, but I’ll have more victories. I’m not going to run away from it anymore. I don’t want to end up being cynical. I want to help people. And that’s what I’m going to do.”
Win turned toward him. “Are you done?”
“I am.”
Win looked at Esperanza. “Should we applaud?”
“I think we should.”
Esperanza stood and applauded wildly. Win put down his air club and offered up a polite golf clap.
Myron bowed and said, “Thank you so very much, you’re a beautiful audience, don’t forget your waitress on the way out, hey, try the veal.”
Big Cyndi popped her head through the doorway. She’d gone heavy on the rouge this morning and looked like a traffic light.
“Line two, Mr. Bolitar.” Big Cyndi batted her eyes. Picture two scorpions trapped on their backs. Then she added, “It’s your new sweetie pie.”
Myron picked up the phone. “Hey!”
Ali Wilder said, “What time are you coming over?”
“I should be there about seven.”
“How about pizza and a DVD with the kids?”
Myron smiled. “Sounds great.”
He hung up. He was smiling. Esperanza and Win exchanged a glance.
“What?” Myron said.
“You’re so doofy when you’re in love,” Esperanza said.
Myron looked at his watch. “It’s time.”
“Good luck,” Esperanza said.
Myron turned to Win. “You want to come along?”
“No, my friend. This one is all yours.”
Myron stood. He kissed Esperanza on the cheek. He hugged Win. Win was surprised by the gesture, but he took it. Myron drove back to New Jersey. It was a glorious day. The sun shone like it’d just been created. Myron fiddled with the radio dial. He kept hitting all his favorite songs.
It was that kind of day.
He did not bother stopping at Brenda’s grave. He thought that she’d understand. Actions speak louder and all that.
Myron parked at St. Barnabas Medical Center. He headed up to Joan Rochester’s room. She was sitting up when he got there, ready to leave.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Fine,” Joan Rochester said.
“I’m sorry about what happened to you.”
“Don’t be.”
“Are you going home?”
“Yes.”
“And you’re not going to press charges?”
“That’s right.”
Myron figured as much. “Your daughter can’t run forever.”
“I know that.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Katie came home last night.”
So much for the happy ending, Myron thought. He closed his eyes. This was not what he’d wanted to hear.
“She and Rufus had a fight. So Katie came home. Dominick forgave her. It’s all going to be okay.”
They looked at each other. It wouldn’t be okay. He knew that. She knew that.
“I want to help you,” Myron said.
“You can’t.”
And maybe she was right.
You help those you can. That was what Win had said. And you always, always keep a promise. That was why he had come today. To keep his promise.