“She said she’ll take care of him better than you.”
There was no question of NOT going to the hospital after that.
I told Evie we were still going to visit Daniel, and drove to the hospital fast.
When we reached Daniel’s floor, I didn’t call ahead or knock on the door.
I pushed Daniel’s door open, ready to catch him canoodling with a mistress.
I was ready to scream at him, to demand answers, but all the words died in my throat when I saw what was happening in Daniel’s hospital room while I wasn’t there.
Because what I saw there redefined everything I thought I knew about betrayal.
I didn’t call ahead or knock on the door.
A blonde woman sat beside Daniel’s bed with her fingers wrapped around his hand, pressing a kiss to his cheek just as the door swung open.
Marjorie stood by the window, like this was normal.
Evie pointed at the blonde woman. “That’s her. That’s the new mommy.”
She turned then, and I recognized her at once from old college photos Marjorie still kept on her mantle.
Vanessa, Daniel’s ex. The one Marjorie had once called “the one who understood him.”
“That’s her. That’s the new mommy.”
“Get your lips off my husband,” I said.
Vanessa jerked back. “I came because Marjorie called me. I was worried.”
I laughed. “Worried enough to kiss a married man in his hospital bed?”
Marjorie stepped forward. “Don’t be vulgar, Claire. He’s barely awake.”
“That makes it a thousand times worse.”
Vanessa stood and smoothed her skirt. “Don’t make such a scene. I didn’t come here to cause trouble.”
“Get your lips off my husband.”
“You came here when you knew I wasn’t here. If that doesn’t scream ‘trouble,’ then I—”
“You’re hardly ever here,” Marjorie cut me off sharply.
That stung.
“I was at work because bills don’t pay themselves,” I said. “I was caring for our daughter, feeding our dogs, filling out insurance forms, doing the freaking laundry because the rest of our life did not stop because Daniel got hurt.”
“My son needed someone beside him.”
And just like that, I realized she’d planned this all along.
“The rest of our life did not stop because Daniel got hurt.”
“You came to me, Marjorie, and told me you understood that I couldn’t juggle it all. You offered to help… it was all an act, wasn’t it? All you really wanted was an opportunity to drag his ex in here and push her on Daniel!”
Vanessa flinched.
But Marjorie lifted her chin. “I thought that nearly dying might be the wake-up call Daniel needed to remember who he was before he settled for you.”
My jaw dropped. “Settled? How dare you!”
“It was all an act, wasn’t it?”
Marjorie laughed coldly. “It’s true. You’re a dead weight, but Vanessa always knew how to make him happy.”
A nurse appeared at the doorway, took one look at us, and stopped. “Is everything okay in here?”
“No.” I pointed at Vanessa. “I want this woman removed from his visitor list.”
Daniel moved then. His eyes fluttered open halfway. Marjorie was at his side in a flash.
“Let’s see what Daniel has to say about that!” She crowed.
“I want this woman removed from his visitor list.”
Daniel’s voice was rough and barely there. “Mom?”
Before Marjorie could say anything, I moved forward. “Daniel, did you ask Vanessa to come here?”
“Who?” he scanned the room. When he spotted Vanessa, he frowned. “What are you doing here?”
Vanessa swallowed. “Your mother called me. She said you needed people who truly loved you.”
Daniel squeezed his eyes shut. “This has to be some kind of bizarre dream.”
Evie stepped forward. “Daddy, Grandma said that lady could be my better mommy. Is that true?”
Daniel’s eyes snapped back open. He glared at Marjorie.
“This has to be some kind of bizarre dream.”
Marjorie said quickly, “Daniel. It’s time you woke up and realized that you made the wrong choice—”
“No. Claire is my wife. I chose her with my whole heart on the day I proposed, and I choose her now. Get out, Mom.” He pointed toward the door. “You, too, Vanessa.”
Vanessa’s face reddened. “I came because I cared.”
“Then you should have cared enough not to let my daughter think her mother could be replaced.”
Vanessa grabbed her purse and walked out without looking at me.
“I chose her with my whole heart on the day I proposed.”
Marjorie stared at him like she had been slapped. Then she looked at me with naked resentment.
“You’re turning him against me.”
“No. You did that yourself.” I turned back to the nurse, who was still standing near the door. “Please update the visitor list to exclude those two.”
The nurse nodded. “I’ll update it immediately.”
Marjorie left without another word.
“Please update the visitor list to exclude those two.”
The room fell silent except for the heart monitor. Then Daniel reached for my hand. His fingers were cold and shaky.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I had no idea…”
“I can forgive fear,” I said. “I can forgive stupidity. God knows you’ve given me plenty of practice with that. But I will never let anyone teach our daughter that her mother can be swapped out like furniture.”
“They won’t.” He turned to Evie as his eyes filled with tears. “Come here, bug.”
Daniel reached for my hand.
She climbed carefully onto the side of the bed, and he kissed the top of her head.
“Mommy saved me,” he whispered. “Mommy takes care of us. There is no new mommy. There will never be a new mommy.”
Evie looked at me. “Really?”
“Really,” I said.
In the end, the worst sting had not come from the nest.
