The Way to Yesterday (3 page)

She combed her fingers through Daniel's thick, dark hair, relishing the feel
of it against her palm, and then leaned down and kissed the side of his cheek.

'You shouldn't have let me sleep so long." He looked up and smiled.
"Why not? You needed it, honey. Besides, where else would I rather be than
with my girls?"

Mary conscience tugged. If only she believed that he meant it.

'Really, Daniel? Do you really mean that? In spite of...I mean, things
haven't been..."

'Come sit by me."

She hesitated, then when he moved his feet to give her room, she sat. She
glanced at Daniel and then focused her attention on Hope, laughing at the
baby's antics, unaware that Daniel was watching her and not their child.

Except for being thinner and paler, and a little the worse for a constant
lack of sleep, she was the same pretty woman she'd always been. Hair the color
of caramel taffy framed a small, slender face. Sometimes he thought her eyes
were blue. Sometimes they almost looked green. But he could always see the tenderness
of her spirit looking out at him from within. Only now, Daniel was trying to
understand where her uncertainty had come from. Before they'd married, he'd
never seen her down or second

Mary ?" guessing herself. Now she seemed to do nothing else. •

She looked up and the expression on his face was a bit frightening.

'What?" she asked, and then caught herself holding her breath as she
awaited his response.

'What's happening between us?"

Her shoulders slumped. "Nothing."

'It's not nothing," he said gently.

'You're right. It's me. I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm so mean and
hateful." Her chin trembled.

'I don't mean to be."

'You aren't mean or hateful," he said. "And it's not you. It's
something else, isn't it?"

Tell him. Tell him how much Phyllis hates me.

'I don't know what you mean." She was saved from having to talk further
as the phone began to ring. "I'll get it," she said, and ran for the
back door, leaving Daniel with a heavy heart and unanswered questions.

A few moments later she peeked out the back door.

'It's Phyllis. She wants to talk to you." Daniel looked at Mary. That
sick, nervous expression was back on her face.

'Tell Mom I'll call her back later, okay?"

Mary nodded and then went back into the living room and picked up the
receiver.

'Phyllis, he's outside with Hope. He said he'll call you later."

'You're lying. You didn't even tell him, did you?"

Mary's stomach knotted. "Of course I'm not lying. He said he'd call you
back."

'I don't believe you," Phyllis snapped. The phone went dead in Mary's ear.
She replaced the receiver and then slumped where she sat. Leaning forward, she
rested her elbows on her knees and covered her face, trying to regain her
composure before she went back outside. But when she stood up and turned,
Daniel was standing in the doorway. Mary flinched, wondering how much of their
conversation that he'd heard.

'I was just coming back out," she said, and made herself smile.

'Hope's wet," he said.

'I'll change her," Mary said, took her from Daniel's arms and escaped
into the nursery.

Daniel's eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he watched her go. He hadn't heard
the conversation, but he'd heard the panic in her voice. What the hell was
going on? Better yet-why wouldn't she tell him? He followed her into the
nursery and slipped an arm around her shoulders as she fastened the last tab on
Hope's diaper. Just for a moment, he felt her hesitate and then lean back
against his chest, just as she'd done so many times before. His heart
quickened. He couldn't remember the last time she'd let her guard down like
that.

'Are you okay?"

The deep rumble of his voice, as well as the gentleness of his touch, was
almost her undoing. She wanted to tell him now, in the quiet of their
daughter's room, but then he took hold of the hand that she'd cut and placed a
tender kiss in the palm of her hand.

'How about we give this poor little hand a rest? I'll make us some
sandwiches for lunch and tonight we could order in. We'll have an early dinner
... maybe watch a movie. It's been a long time since we've done anything for
us."

She laid Hope in her crib and then turned, unaware that the shimmer in her
eyes was a dead giveaway of her emotions.

'I'd love that. You choose the food. I'll choose the movie."

He grinned. "As long as you don't make me watch You've Got Mail again,
you've got a deal."

Mary made a face. "But I like Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks."

'I do, too, but I've seen that movie enough already to last me a
lifetime."

'Then how about Sleepless in
Seattle
?"
she asked, fully aware that her two favorite actors also starred in that movie,
as well.

He growled as he swung her off her feet. "You pick the food. I'll pick
the movie," he bar gained.

'Chinese."

'Lethal Weapon. "

They laughed in unison and then walked out of the room arm in arm. For now,
the tension between them had been shoved aside in the joy of the unexpected
reunion.

Less than an hour later, the doorbell rang. Daniel was in the act of slicing
tomatoes for their lunch.

'I'll get it," Mary said. The smile was still on her face as she opened
the door, but when she saw the expression on Phyllis O'Rourke's face, it was
all she could do to be civil. "Phyllis ... what a nice surprise.

Please, come in."

'Where's Daniel?"

'In the kitchen making sandwiches for our lunch. We'd love to have you join
us."

Phyllis glared. "Isn't it enough that he works all week as a lawyer?
Must he come home and feed himself, too?"

Mary's stomach began to knot. She held up her bandaged hand to add to a
hasty explanation.

'I cut myself this morning. He's only helping.”

'It's always something with you, isn't it?" Phyllis said, and
physically pushed Mary aside as she strode into the house.

Mary staggered, then steadied herself by grabbing onto the small table in
the hall. Sick at heart, she turned around and saw Daniel standing in the doorway.
The look on his face was somewhere between disbelief and fury.

'Mother?"

Phyllis turned, her expression full of indignation. "I called you about
an hour ago, did you know that?"

'Yes, Mary told me. Didn't she tell you that I would call you back when I
had time?"

Phyllis looked as if she'd just been drop-kicked. She glanced at Mary and
then back at her son. "Well... yes...I suppose she mentioned it, but you
didn't call and I needed..." She took a deep breath and started over,
refusing to admit she'd been wrong. "Your Aunt Evelyn is in town. She and
Hubert are coming to dinner tonight and I want you to come." Daniel looked
at his mother, then at Mary, who was still clutching the hall table as if it
were a lifeline. Suddenly, things were beginning to make sense. Mary braced
herself, waiting for Daniel to accept and knowing that she would have to endure
a night of misery when they went. But Daniel surprised her by refusing.

'Sorry, Mom," then he walked past Phyllis and put an arm around Mary
and gave her a quick hug.

'We've already made other plans."

Phyllis's lips went slack. If he'd slapped her, she wouldn't have been more
surprised. She glared at

Mary, convinced that the woman was, somehow, at the bottom of Daniel's
refusal.

'But Evelyn hasn't seen your daughter and there's no telling when they'll be
back in town."

Ignoring the whine in his mother's voice, he tightened his grip on Mary.

'Hope isn't just my daughter, Mother, she's our daughter, and I'm sorry we
can't come. Tell Aunt Evelyn we'll send her some pictures, okay?"

Mary was in shock. She still couldn't believe what was happening or what had
caused it, but it was all she could do not to giggle with relief.

'Want to stay and have lunch with us?" Daniel asked. "It's not
much. I'm not as good a cook as

Mary, but she cut her hand pretty badly this morning and I'm filling in. I
still think she should have gotten stitches, but she thought otherwise. Anyway,
it's only canned soup and sandwiches, but I slice a pretty mean tomato."

Phyllis wouldn't look at Mary and couldn't meet Daniel's gaze.

'No...I'd better not. Since I'm having company tonight, there are a dozen
things I need to do." She smoothed a hand down the front of her dress and
then lifted her chin and made herself smile. "Thank you for the
invitation, though. Maybe some other time."

'Give our love to Hubert and Evelyn," Daniel said.

'Yes... yes, I will," Phyllis muttered. "They're going to be
disappointed."

Daniel chuckled. "Then maybe next time they'll call ahead and let
people know they're coming."

Phyllis didn't bother to comment as she let herself out of the house.

The moment she was gone, Daniel took Mary by the shoulders.

''Mary...”

She sighed, then looked up.

'Talk to me."

'What is there to say?"

'You can start by telling me how long she's been treating you like
this."

Mary's chin trembled, but she wouldn't let herself cry.

'Since the day she found out I was pregnant and we were going to get
married."

'No way!"

'Oh, but yes."

'Why didn't you tell me?"

Suddenly, Mary's chin jutted mutinously. "And say what? That your
mother thinks you would never have asked me to marry you if I hadn't gotten
pregnant?"

'That would have been fine for starters," he muttered.

'I couldn't," she said, then pulled out of his grasp and turned away.

'Why the hell not?"

She answered, but the words were spoken so softly, he couldn't hear what she
said.

'What did you say?"

She pivoted sharply, her voice rising in misplaced anger.

'Because I wasn't sure but what it might be the truth."

Daniel was momentarily speechless, unable to believe the words that had come
out of her mouth.

'You can't be serious!"

She stood her ground without answering. Daniel tried to draw a deep breath
and choked on tears instead.

'My God, Mary Faith-how can you doubt me like that?"

Mary's lips trembled as her eyes welled. "Oh, baby ...don't,"
Daniel begged. "Please don't cry."

He pulled her close; his hands shaking as he tunneled his fingers through
her hair, then rocked her where she stood.

''I promise you will never suffer another indignity from my family and I
apologize for being blind to "hat they've been doing. Trust me. It won't
happen again. I love you so much, sweetheart, and losing you would kill
me."

'You can't lose me," she whispered. "And I love you, too, Daniel.
Forever."

'Okay, then." he said softly. then gave her a kiss so tender that it
stole her breath away.

'Are you real hungry?"

Mary tilted her head, meeting his gaze with a smile.

'Not for food."

'Thank God," he muttered, and swept her off her feet and into his arms.
"Now if Hope will just stay asleep for a little while longer..."

Mary leaned her cheek against his shoulder as he carried her down the hall
to their bedroom.

'It's been a long time," she said softly, as he laid her down on their
bed.

'Too long," Daniel said softly, and began unbuttoning his shirt.

The last thought in Mary's head was a small prayer that this dream would not
end.

It was three o'clock in the morning when the phone rang. Daniel jerked in
his sleep and then reached for the receiver before he was fully awake, not
wanting it to ring again for fear it would awaken Hope.

Mary sat straight up in bed, listening as Daniel answered.

'Hello? Mom! What's wrong? What? Slow down... slow down... you're not making
any sense."

Phyllis took a deep breath and then started to cry. "Oh, Daniel... it's
gone. Everything is gone!"

"What's gone, Mom?"

'Our home. Our car. The clothes. All of my pictures. "

Daniel swung his legs to the side of the bed.

'What are you saying?"

'The house caught on fire." She choked on a sob. "Everything is
gone."

'Are you and Dad all right?"

"Yes, but-"

'Where are you?" he asked.

'Across the street at Bob and Julia's. Hang on a minute, will you? Your
father is trying to tell me something."

'Yes, sure," he said, and wiped a shaky hand across his face as he
began to visualize the enormity of the loss. It was the house he'd grown up in,
and there was nothing left but memories.

Mary clutched Daniel's arm, her voice taut with anxiety. "What
happened?"

'Mom and Dad's house burned down."

"Oh no! Are they all right?"

He nodded.

'Go get them. They belong with us." Daniel sighed. Hearing Mary say
what he'd already contemplated was a huge relief. After what he'd witnessed
earlier, he'd feared the last thing

Mary would stand for was having his parents under her roof.

'Thank you," he whispered, and then turned back to the phone.
"Mom?"

'I'm here," she said. "Mike wanted me to tell you which motel
we'll be at."

'No motel, Mom. We want you here. As soon as I get dressed, I'm coming after
you and Dad."

Phyllis hesitated. She wasn't sure if she was ready to face her
daughter-in-law under such intimate circumstances.

'Are you sure?" she finally asked. "I mean, your wife might
not-"

'Her name is Mary, Mom, and it was her idea first. Not mine. I'll see you
soon."

Phyllis heard him disconnect and then replaced the receiver. She knew
Daniel. When he set his mind to something, there was no turning him back. She
looked at her husband.

'Mike, go wash your face. Daniel is coming to get us."

Mary dashed into the spare bedroom as Daniel pulled out of the driveway. It
would take him about twenty minutes to get across town to where his parents
lived, then another twenty or so to get back. It would give her just enough
time to put clean sheets on the spare bed and find some fresh clothing for
Phyllis and Mike to put on. Her hands were shaking as she began her duties,
trying to imagine the heart break of losing forty years of accumulated
possessions and memorabilia.