Harry watched his wife feed Emma and had to ask her what had happened to Deanna.
Emma fell asleep.
- Laura... What did you and Deanna talk about last night? -
- Why do you ask?
- She looked really bad... she was crying... tell me what happened...
- I told her what she needed to know, Harry.
- Know? -
- Yeah, I told her the whole truth... What you never wanted her to know... Everything, about Frank, why you asked her to marry Daniel... The truth: that you're leaving us because you're in love with her... -
- You told her what?! -
- You don't have to pretend with me anymore, I've known it for a long time... You stopped loving me when she came into our lives... You're going to leave us now! -
- Are you out of your mind?! How could you?! -
- You can't leave us, Harry! -
- She's going to hate me! Deanna will hate me! -
- You'll run after her and forget your daughter! - She shouted at him in tears.
- I can't believe you'd do something so stupid... -
He slumped back in his chair. He was perplexed, stunned. Deanna would not forgive him. He also looked at Laura with tear-filled eyes.
- Even now... look how much you care for her... -
- And how am I supposed to get by?! - He shouted at her.
He had never shouted at her before, he had never been angry with her before. Laura got scared and Emma started to cry.
-Where are you going? -
Harry was leaving.
- Where are you going? Harry! -
- What's going on here? - Susan came in with some things for the girl.
- She told her everything! - He shouted, pointing at Laura.
- What are you talking about? -
- She told Deanna everything! -
- I did it so you wouldn't leave us, Harry! - From the bed and with the child in her arms, Laura couldn't stop crying.
- Who would leave you?! What kind of man do you think I am?! You made a total mess! -
He left, almost running. Susan realized what had happened, oh my God!
-Laura calm down... Give me Emma... Calm down.
- He's leaving, Susan... he's leaving me... -
- Of course not, Laura, Harry won't leave you... What happened? -
Susan rocked the little girl, trying to calm her down as well. Little by little, between sobs, Laura told her what they had talked about with Deanna.
- Oh, my goodness! -
- Understand me, Susan, I was desperate. Harry wouldn't stop drinking, we have no peace... He's even looking for a place to move... I saw him -
- He's looking for a house so you two can start over! -
- What?
- He wants to take up Daniel's offer to go out of town to work... He wants to start over with you, take care of his family, take care of Emma, try to make up for what he put you through... God, Laura! What have you done? -
- I didn't know... He didn't tell me... -
- No, he wanted to tell you after Emma was born... He knew you wouldn't want to be away from your family to give birth... -
- Deanna and Daniel...
- Deanna won't forgive Harry... She will fight with Daniel... She'll leave him... What did you do? -
- I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! - The crying came back.
- How did you know? How did you know about Harry? -
- I suspected it ever since we met in college, but Deanna was always her friend and nothing more... But then she started dating Frank and I could tell by Harry's behavior that something was going on... I got pregnant soon after... His intention in her marrying Daniel was to get her away from her ex-boyfriend... -
Susan knew all that, but Harry had kept a lot of motives to himself. He had really thought it through, she couldn't blame Deanna for being angry, she was angry herself. But Laura had been driven by desperation and now things were done.
" I hope Deanna doesn't decide to leave," she thought to herself as she continued to try to get Laura to stop crying. She thought of Daniel, that this time he would fall into that dark pit that alienated him from everyone and never come out again. And she, she felt helpless.
Harry was lost in the streets, not knowing where to go or what direction to take. How could everything have slipped through his fingers? First he lacked the courage to tell her how he felt, then he stacked the deck in his favor, but she fell in love with Daniel. He was so angry at Laura, and yet she was just another victim.
All he could do was face Deanna's anger and try to hold his head up high; after all, he was the only one to blame. He had already decided to turn things around and take responsibility for his family once and for all. In a few hours, Emma became his whole world.
He went back to the hospital, back to Laura and Emma. His wife apologized and begged him to understand that she had acted out of desperation. He promised her that everything would get better, that she wouldn't have to worry anymore. He would never leave her.
-Would you like to have dinner with me? -
Daniel sat up in bed, Deanna had been hiding under the covers all day, barely getting up for breakfast in the morning. When he returned with the children in the afternoon, she was still in the same place.
- No -
- Are you going to stay there for the rest of your life? -
- Maybe, if you join me... -
He smiled, somehow managing to splash color around her even though she was wrapped in gray.
- Don't tempt me... -
- Sorry, I'm not in the mood to go out or do anything -
- Don't be sorry. I'll bring you dinner later, you can stay here as long as you like -
But little Jonathan had other plans. This time he knocked on the bedroom door and barely stuck his head in.
-You have visitors.
Deanna sat up and waved her hand, inviting him in. Jonathan ran, kicking off his shoes at full speed and leaping onto the bed to hide under the covers with her. Hugged and hidden. He couldn't help but feel a kind of pride when he saw her with her son. The little boy stroked her face and she kissed each of his little fingers.
-How lucky some people are..." Daniel said.
As if in response, Deanna spread the blanket over their heads.
- Hey!
The little one moved, if he spoke, there would be little giggles to be heard.
He left them in their improvised hiding place and walked away. And for a moment, the image of Deanna with the child and Emma in her crib crossed his mind. "A son with Deanna," one with disheveled hair. Or rather a daughter, with her mother's face. Naomi and two Deannas, he could never live in peace again, he'd spend his time chasing away "suitors". No, better one son... or two.
But it was too soon, maybe in a few years, while he could fantasize about the idea and the sensations the thought of it provoked.
As promised, he brought her dinner in bed, but to spoil her a little, he had them bring her the same pizza they had eaten when they had gone to the playground with his children. And Deanna ate heartily, her mood brightening with each bite, her hands filled with cheese. It was so easy to make her smile, if he'd realized it sooner, it wouldn't have taken him so long to get caught up in her.