I looked at Stephen.
He raised his eyebrows as if to say your decision.
“Fine,” I said. “Come.”
I collected Lily first.
Whatever the mystery was, Daniel was still her father, and I refused to let adult secrets create fear around her.
I told Lily preschool was ending early because we were having a family afternoon.
She accepted this with enthusiasm.
“Can we make pancakes?”
“It’s two o’clock.”
“Pancakes don’t know what time it is.”
I laughed despite myself.
When we reached home, Daniel was waiting outside.
He looked terrible.
Not frightened.
Tired.
The moment Lily saw him, she ran across the yard.
“Daddy!”
Daniel crouched and hugged her.
His eyes closed.
For a second, all the anger inside me became complicated.
Whatever Daniel had hidden, his love for Lily had never been something I doubted.
He carried her inside.
Then he saw Stephen.
The two men had met twice before in brief, polite exchanges.
