“Yeah, sis. I missed you all, too,” Daniel whispered. Guilt, sharp and intense, shot through him when Emma finally let him go, her eyes shiny with tears. “Aw, Em. Don’t.”
She waved him off and turned to Annika. “Emma,” he said, “this is Annika. Annika, my big sister, Emma.”
Annika smiled at Emma and held out her hand, but Emma pulled her in for a hug. Shock sprang to her face, but she seemed to recover quickly and returned the hug. His sister’s eyes were still wet when she released Annika. “I’m sorry,” she sniffled. “But Danny hasn’t been to a birthday in—well, a long time.”
Daniel rolled his eyes and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Jeez, Em. Can we not do the ‘Danny’ thing?” He looked around. They still stood on Emma’s front porch. Clearly, she had wanted a minute with him before everyone else got to him. “Where is he, anyway?”
As if in answer, a dark-haired blue-jeaned blur whooshed up and stopped in front of Emma. “Hey, Mom. When are we cutting the cake?”
Daniel’s heart was beating too fast; he felt the blood drain away from his head. This—this grown-up little boy couldnotbe his nephew. Had that much time passed? Annika leaned toward him, probably because he looked like he was going to pass out. But when he looked at her, her concern was laced with confusion.
“Emma’s right. I haven’t been to a birthday party in a while.” That was all the explanation he could muster right now.
There had been an incident. It was the first birthday after Sara. Emma had made him come to the party because it had meant a lot to young Charlie to have his uncle there. A little girl who looked just like Sara—at least the brown curls and blue eyes part—had asked Daniel to cut her a piece of cake and Daniel had frozen. Emma had had to convince him that the little girl was not his Sara. Ever since then, he avoided groups of children. Until this birthday party. Until Annika.
Emma was talking to her son. “Soon, don’t worry. Charlie, I have a surprise for you.”
Charlie’s eyes lit up, and he did a little jig. “What?”
“Look who came to your party.” She turned him to face Daniel. “Uncle Danny is here.”
Charlie narrowed his eyes as if trying to place Daniel, but, as Daniel had anticipated, recognition never lit up his face.
The young boy held out his hand and plastered a polite smile to his face. “Nice to meet you, Uncle Danny.”
Daniel’s heart broke a little more. He had changed this boy’s diapers, stayed up nights with him. He had played with him, given him his first soccer ball, and here he was, ten years old, offering to shake his hand as if he were a stranger. What had he done, staying away for so long? Not that he hadn’t seen his sister and his parents. It was Charlie he avoided.
Daniel’s hand shook even as he offered it to Charlie. Considering the furtive glances from his sister, and the continued quizzical look on Annika’s face, he wasn’t doing a good job of hiding his anxiety. “We’ve met before.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t remember.”
“Well, it’s been a while, and I’ve been away.” Daniel forced out the words as he studied his nephew. “The last time I saw you, you were five. And only about this big.” He held his hand low to the ground. “Not nearly the grown-up boy I see here.” Tears pricked at his eyes, but he forced them back. “I hear you’re a pretty good soccer player. Maybe we could catch a game?”
Charlie’s eyes lit up. “That would be awesome!”
Daniel grinned, finally feeling the warmth of the sun. “It’s a date. I’ll get us tickets.” Annika placed a hand on his shoulder, offering support, though she couldn’t even know why. He relaxed under her touch.
“Can I go, Mom? Huh? Can I?” Charlie nearly bounced with excitement.
“Of course. Now go see to your friends. Cake in ten minutes.”
Charlie started to run off, but he turned back after a few steps. “You’re not leaving soon, are you?”
“Not a chance.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
ANNIKA
DANIEL’SMOTHERWASan older version of Emma, her skin slightly browner, with eyes to match. She embraced her son a bit too long, making Annika wonder if Daniel had been avoiding more than just Charlie.
Daniel’s father, a tall man with a full head of graying hair and the same green eyes as his children, stayed back a bit, his eyes narrowed at his son.
Daniel stepped back from his mother, finally fixing his gaze on his father. When Daniel had looked at his mother, his eyes were the green of a meadow, promising everything light and wonderful. The green he rested on his father, however, was reminiscent of a murky body of water. The older man pressed his lips together.
Daniel extended his hand. “Dad.”
A small storm brewed in the older man’s eyes, and he waited a beat before shaking Daniel’s hand. “Son. About time you came to see your mother.”
