The Promise to Daniel
I wiped my tears, struggling to breathe. “Where is he, Michael? Where’s Daniel now?”
Michael’s expression changed.
“Emma, there’s something else you need to know.”
I felt suddenly cold. “Tell me.”
He swallowed. “Daniel died four months ago.”
For several seconds, I couldn’t speak.
Then I whispered, “No.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“No. You don’t get to tell me that.”
“Emma…”
“He’s dead? And nobody thought his wife should know?”
“You were divorced.”
“He was Lily’s father! Why didn’t anyone tell me? His family? Someone?”
“Daniel stopped speaking to most of his relatives after the diagnosis. He asked me to arrange his funeral and made me promise not to contact you.”
“And you actually agreed?”
Michael lowered his eyes. “I thought I was respecting his wishes. But I should’ve told you.”
“I should’ve been there!” My voice broke. “I would’ve taken care of him.”
“He knew. That’s exactly what frightened him.”
“That wasn’t his decision to make!”
“I told him that, Emma. More times than I can count.”
I sank into a chair.
“Why did he start the club?”
“During treatment, he met children who’d spent months in hospitals. He wanted to give them something to look forward to. So he gathered volunteers and built this place.”
“And Lily?”
Michael hesitated. “Daniel found out she was sick.”
I looked up sharply. “He knew?”
“Yes.”
“And he still didn’t come?”
“He wanted to. Desperately.”
“Then why didn’t he?”
“He tried, Emma. Once, he even got dressed and asked me to drive him to the hospital. But he collapsed before we reached the car. His cancer had spread, and he could barely stand.”
“He could’ve called her.”
“I know. I begged him to. But he was terrified she’d hear how sick he was and spend her own treatment worrying about him.”
Tears spilled down my cheeks. “He let his daughter think he’d abandoned her.”
“I argued with him about that.”
“What did he say?”
“That Lily deserved happy memories, not another hospital bed to worry about.”
“He was wrong,” I whispered.
“I know. But he made me promise I’d look after her. And I kept that promise, even after he died.”
“So you only visited Lily because of Daniel?”
“At first, yes.”
“And afterward?”
“She became my friend, Emma.”
May you like
“You really care about her?”
“More than you know. That little girl changed my life.”
