“No, of course not.”
“Then get stronger, and do it quickly,” she commanded. She smiled. “Just look at me when you have those moments, especially in his presence. I’ll help you, okay?”
I nodded. “Sorry, Cassie.”
“Just go to sleep. Tomorrow … tomorrow is the beginning of a new day for us. In many, many ways,” she added, and then kissed me on the cheek.
She held me, too.
When she let go, I turned and left the room.
She remained in there long after I had gone to bed, first to do battle with my own twisted thoughts and fears and then to welcome sleep as I would have welcomed my mother’s comforting embrace and kiss.
“I won’t forget you, Mother,” I whispered to the darkness. “I promise. I won’t.”
I couldn’t help but be a ball of nervous tension all morning, anticipating Daddy’s midday arrival. On the contrary, Cassie was loose and happy, singing to herself as she moved about the house and put the finishing touches on the bedroom. The moment I heard Daddy enter, my heart began to pound. I was in the living room trying to read, but my gaze continually slid off the page and my mind fell bac
k into anxious thoughts.
“Hey,” Daddy said, smiling, when I stepped out to greet him. “How are you doing, Semantha?”
I ran to him, and he hugged me and kissed my forehead. Just as I lifted my eyes to meet his, we heard Cassie call from the top of the stairway.
“How were your meetings?”
“They were good. I got them to drop the so-called energy fees.”
“Wonderful,” Cassie said, coming down the stairs. “I knew you would convince them. If anyone could, you could.”
I stepped back so she could hug him.
“I’m tired and hungry,” he said. “I had a crummy breakfast because there was so much talk.”
“I figured you would be hungry, so I prepared a shrimp salad, and we have those rolls you love.”
“Great. I’ll just run up, shower, and change. Then you two can fill me in on what you’ve been doing to amuse yourselves while I was gone.”
“Oh, I think you’ll know pretty quickly,” Cassie said, winking at me.
“Oh?” He looked at me and then at her. “No hints?”
“You don’t need any,” Cassie said.
He kept his look of suspicion and started for the stairway. Cassie glanced at me, and then, when he started up, she seized my hand and pulled me along to follow him as soon as he turned the corner to his bedroom. I looked at her as we hurried up behind him. The excitement in her face was infectious. Maybe this would be a wonderful present for him.
When we turned the corner to his room, however, we found him standing outside looking in. He looked more stunned than pleased. Cassie paused. He didn’t turn toward us and didn’t enter his bedroom. Finally, he looked our way.
“What have you done, Cassie?” he asked.
“I had your bedroom completely redone, Daddy. I wanted it to be fresh and new. I planned it all with Casper Flemming, Mother’s decorator. He had many of the things she had wanted on record. You know how she was torn between that shag carpet and this cut pile plush. How many times did she wonder if she had made the right choice?”
“But our bed …”
“It was the bed she died in, Daddy,” Cassie boldly reminded him. “It wasn’t a happy place for you anymore. I knew what it was like for you every night to come up here and face the scene of … of our tragedy. We knew,” she added, turning to me.
Daddy looked at me, and I nodded.
“I’m not saying I don’t appreciate it. I’m just … overwhelmed. You even had the curtains changed, I see.”