Chapter 18 - The Night Elise Left.
Elise left after the twins were asleep.
Daniel did not stop her.
That was the hardest thing he had done all week.
She promised to return for their birthday in three days.
She also promised to answer if there was an emergency.
Daniel hated both promises because neither meant she was staying.
At 1:48 A.M., Rosie began crying.
Maisie followed.
Daniel stood in the hallway listening.
His first instinct was to call Elise.
He picked up his phone.
Then he put it down.
He entered the nursery.
Both girls stood inside their cribs.
Daniel looked around helplessly.
No yellow gloves.
No headphones.
No Elise.
The pink teddy bear lay on the rocking chair.
He picked it up.
Rosie cried harder.
"Great."
Daniel sat on the rug.
"I have been rejected by someone who cannot say my name."
Maisie hiccupped.
Daniel made the bear look at her.
"This is humiliating."
Rosie paused.
Daniel lowered his voice.
"I should warn you that I have no material."
Maisie stared.
He remembered Rebecca dancing with the spatula.
He remembered Elise's banana joke.
He put the teddy bear on his head.
It fell off immediately.
Rosie stopped crying.
Daniel tried again.
The bear slid over one eye.
Maisie laughed.
Daniel froze.
Then he did it again.
Both girls laughed.
Not as loudly as they had for Elise.
It did not matter.
Daniel laughed too.
The sound startled him.
He stayed on the floor until both girls became sleepy.
Rosie reached through the crib rails.
Daniel gave her one finger.
Maisie did the same from the other crib.
He sat between them with both arms stretched awkwardly in opposite directions.
At 2:16 A.M., he sent Elise one message.
THE BEAR HAS JOINED THE BANANA UNION.
Three dots appeared.
Then disappeared.
A minute later, she replied.
I KNEW HE HAD POTENTIAL.
Daniel smiled.
The next morning, Samuel called.
Investigators had obtained enough documentary evidence to pursue charges against Hale.
Evelyn's role remained under investigation.
Carter Holdings announced an independent review.
Daniel felt no triumph.
Only space.
For the first time, there was room to decide what happened next.
He spent the day with the twins.
They made pancakes badly.
Rosie dropped a spoon.
Maisie smeared banana across Daniel's shirt.
He did not change it.
At sunset, Cole arrived with two birthday gifts.
He also brought a final video recovered from Rebecca's damaged cloud account.
Daniel stared at the file name.
FIRST BIRTHDAY.
"She recorded this before she died?"
Cole nodded.
Daniel could not press play.
Not yet.
That night, another message arrived.
This one was from Elise.
I HAVE BEEN OFFERED A POSITION IN BOSTON.
START DATE IS MONDAY.
Daniel read it three times.
The lake outside was completely still.
He wanted to type, Don't go.
Instead he wrote:
IS IT WHAT YOU WANT?
Her reply took several minutes.
I DON'T KNOW.
Daniel looked toward the sleeping twins.
For months, he had confused love with holding on.
Now the person who taught his daughters to laugh was asking him, without saying it, whether he had learned how to let someone choose.
He typed one final message.
THEN CHOOSE WITHOUT OWING US.
The reply came almost immediately.
THAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU HAVE EVER SAID TO ME THAT SOUNDS LIKE REBECCA.
May you like
Daniel stared at the screen until his eyes burned.
Then he opened Rebecca's birthday video.
