Chapter 2 - The Girl Who Hated WaterClaire spent the next twenty minutes sitting on the floor.
Not beside Lily.
Not touching her.
Just sitting.
She had learned one important lesson from childhood development lectures: sometimes adults made frightened children worse simply by insisting on becoming close too quickly.
So Claire became furniture.
She crossed her legs.
Placed her hands in her lap.
And stared at the rain.
Lily watched her from the bed.
Gabriel watched Lily.
Everyone else watched Gabriel.
Eventually, the doctor left.
The nurses followed.
Evelyn disappeared.
That left Claire and Lily alone with the world's most dangerous father standing ten feet away.
Claire cleared her throat.
“I’m not going to make you drink.”
Lily said nothing.
“I’m not going to make you eat.”
Nothing.
“I’m not even going to ask you to talk.”
The rabbit moved slightly.
Claire pointed at it.
“That rabbit has terrible judgment.”
Lily blinked.
“Look at those ears. Completely unnecessary.”
One corner of Lily’s mouth moved.
Barely.
Gabriel noticed.
Claire pretended not to.
She reached into her bag.
“I brought something.”
She pulled out a cheap plastic hairbrush covered in ridiculous purple glitter.
Lily stared.
“Your father paid fifteen thousand dollars for me to bring that.”
Gabriel raised an eyebrow.
Claire shrugged.
“Budget allocation.”
A tiny sound escaped Lily.
Not quite a laugh.
But close.
Gabriel looked away.
Claire recognized the move.
A man who did not want anyone to see relief.
For nearly an hour, nothing happened.
Then Lily whispered.
“Do you know the song?”
“What song?”
“The one Mommy sang.”
Claire looked at Gabriel.
His entire body went rigid.
“What song, sweetheart?”
Lily looked toward the ceiling.
“Hush now, little sparrow…”
She stopped.
Claire waited.
Lily whispered the next line.
“Red door. Silver moon.”
Gabriel crossed the room.
“Lily.”
She flinched.
Claire looked at him.
“Don't.”
Gabriel stopped.
Claire returned her attention to Lily.
“Do you want me to sing it?”
Lily nodded.
Claire began softly.
“Hush now, little sparrow…”
Lily joined.
For ten seconds, it worked.
Her shoulders dropped.
Her breathing slowed.
Then Claire reached the final line.
“Sleep until the morning opens…”
Lily suddenly stopped.
Her eyes widened.
“That’s wrong.”
Claire froze.
“What’s wrong?”
“That isn’t how Mommy ended it.”
“How did she end it?”
Lily looked at the door.
“The woman changed it.”
Gabriel's voice sharpened.
“What woman?”
Lily's lips trembled.
“The woman with pearls.”
Behind them, something shattered.
They turned.
Evelyn stood in the doorway.
A glass tray had fallen from her hands.
Claire stared at her.
Gabriel's face became unreadable.
“You,” he said quietly.
Evelyn swallowed.
“I’m sorry.”
Lily screamed.
“She sang it before the car came!”
Gabriel stepped toward Evelyn.
“Get everyone out.”
Evelyn backed away.
“Gabriel, I can explain.”
“Everyone out.”
The security team appeared instantly.
Evelyn was taken from the hallway.
Claire looked at Lily.
The little girl's eyes were fixed on the empty doorway.
Then she whispered something else.
Claire leaned closer.
“Who was in the car?”
Lily started crying.
“Mommy.”
Claire's heart sank.
“And Daddy?”
Lily shook her head.
“No.”
Claire waited.
Lily's voice became almost inaudible.
“Daddy was in front.”
“What does that mean?”
Lily looked toward Gabriel.
“Daddy wasn't supposed to come.”
Silence.
Gabriel turned sharply.
“What?”
May you like
Lily buried her face in the rabbit.
And Claire realized the story of the shooting might be completely different from everything Gabriel believed.
