The Way to Yesterday (4 page)

Then suddenly she froze. She still had all the worldly possessions. It was
her loved ones that were really gone.

In that moment, she felt herself trying to surface from the indulgence of
this fantasy. Before it could happen, Hope let out a wail and Mary began
resubmerging
, pushing away the fear and returning to the
dream-because it was safer-and because it was where she wanted to be.

She blinked, then looked up. The bedroom was still the same and Daniel's
winter clothes were still hanging in the extra closet. With a sigh of relief,
she pulled the last pillow slip onto the pillow and dropped it in place, making
sure that the bed was turned back in an inviting manner, then bolted out of the
room toward the nursery.

'Mommy's coming, honey. Don't cry."

She'd taken a coffee cake out of the freezer and had it thawing on the
cabinet. Hope had been changed and fed and Mary was in the act of laying out a
clean nightgown and pajamas when she heard Daniel's car in the driveway. With a
last look at the bedroom to assure herself that everything was in place, she
hurried to the front door. They were just coming up the steps as she opened the
door to greet them.

'Phyllis... Mike... thank goodness you're both all right."

She took Phyllis by the hand and pulled her into the house. They were
red-eyed and soot-stained and the smell of smoke was all about them.

'I'm so sorry," she said softly, then gave Phyllis a quick hug before
moving on to Daniel's father.

'Mike, tell me you're both okay?"

'As good as could be expected, I guess."

Mary nodded then her gaze moved to Daniel, as if seeking his approval.

'I've given your father a pair of your clean pajamas and you two can sort
through other clothes later." Then she turned to Daniel's mother.
"Phyllis, you'll find a clean nightgown at the foot of your bed beside
Mike's pajamas. There are clean towels in the bathroom as well as shampoo and a
hair dryer. Please use anything you need. When you've both had a chance to
clean up, come to the kitchen. I've made some hot chocolate and there's coffee
cake to go with it."

Mike O'Rourke seemed to go limp with relief, as if he'd been holding himself
together by sheer will alone.

'Thank you, dear. We appreciate you and Daniel having us here and we'll try
not to be a bother."

"Family is never a bother," Mary said. Guilt rode hard on
Phyllis's conscience as she let Mike lead her down the hall toward the guest
room. She paused in the hallway and looked back. Daniel was standing in the
shadows with his arms around his wife, holding on to her as if his life
depended upon it-and she was holding him back-her head buried on his chest. her
hands fisted in the fabric of his jacket. Quickly, she turned away. unwilling
to admit that the fresh set of teas
ir
her eves were
because of them. and not the loss of her home.

'Come on. Phyllis.- Mike said. ''You shower first."

She took a deep breath and lifted her chin as she walked into the room.
quietly closing the door be hind her.

Daniel gave Mary a swift kiss and then followed her into the kitchen. It was
warm and comforting and smelled of chocolate and cinnamon. He took one look at
the table set for four and hugged her again.

'You are a saint," he said quietly.

'No, Daniel. Just a woman fighting for a place in your world."

'You are my world, Mary Faith. You and Hope matter more to me than anyone or
anything else."

She pulled back and looked at him then, her shy smile almost childlike.

'I know that... at least ...I know that now. I'm sorry I doubted you."

'Forgiven," he muttered, and slanted a hard kiss across her mouth
before he turned her loose. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

'I couldn't find the marshmallows for the hot chocolate. Do you know where
they are?"

'Nope, but I can look."

'Thanks," she said, then fluttered nervously toward the cabinet.
"I just want this to be nice for them."

He frowned. "I don't know that they actually deserve this, but I
appreciate it, just the same." She turned, her hands clutched against her
middle. "Daniel, please. Don't say anything to them about... well, you
know. They've suffered a traumatic loss. Let bygones be bygones, all
right?"

"Fine, but I'd better not hear one critical remark out of my mother's
mouth or they'll be looking for that motel after all."

She smiled. "Thank you."

'Don't thank me yet," he muttered.

'The marshmallows, please?"

'Oh. Yeah. Right."

About a half hour later, Mike and Phyllis emerged from the bedroom, freshly
showered and shampooed and wearing clean clothes. Daniel was waiting in the living
room, watching Mary sleeping on the sofa. When he heard the door open, he
arose, then pulled the afghan a little higher over her shoulder before he went
to meet them.

'Where's Mary?" Mike asked.

Daniel pointed toward the sofa. "Asleep. She doesn't get much rest
these days and Hope's already had her up once tonight. I thought it best to let
her sleep."

Phyllis peered over the sofa and stared at the thin, pale face of the woman
who'd married her son. Even from here, she could see dark circles of fatigue
beneath her eyes and felt a quick spurt of remorse. She remembered how hard it
had been to be a mother for the first time and how exhausted she'd been.
Fortunately, she'd had her mother and older sister nearby who'd been of
tremendous help and support. She looked at Mary again. Mary had no one. As
Daniel and Mike moved into the kitchen, she turned away and followed them, well
aware that she had Mary to thank for her present safety and comfort.

'What's all this?" Phyllis asked, as she entered the kitchen.

Daniel took the pot of hot chocolate from the stove where Mary had been
keeping it warm and began to pour it into their mugs.

'Cinnamon coffee cake, freshly warmed in the oven, and hot chocolate,"
he said, as the warm, sweet scent filled the room. "Mom, will you cut the
cake?"

Reluctantly, Phyllis picked up the knife and thrust it through the cake. It
parted tenderly beneath the blade in perfect slices.

'It looks wonderful," Mike said.

Daniel beamed. "It tastes even better. Mary's a really good cook."

Phyllis served up the slices, then sat down in her chair. The horror of what
they'd just endured had been lessened by the warmth and comfort of this home.
Up until she'd walked into the kitchen, she hadn't been able to get the smell
of burning wood and smoke from her nostrils. Now all she could smell was hot
chocolate and cinnamon. She was clean and safe and everything they'd lost could
be replaced. Then she looked at Daniel, watching the animation on his face as
he talked to Mike about his plans for the future and knew there was one thing
she'd almost lost that was irreplaceable-her relationship with their son.

'How's the cake, Mom?"

Phyllis blinked, then made herself smile and take a bite.

'Very good," she said, although the guilt she was feeling threatened to
choke her. "I wonder if this is from a mix."

'Nope. It's out of one of her old cookbooks. She collects them, you know.
One of her favorite things to do is to prowl antique stores for cookbooks,
although she hasn't had a chance to do that for quite some time now. Hope is a
pretty demanding little squirt."

Mike chuckled. "Then she takes after you, boy. I well remember how many
nights you kept your mother and I up. You had your days and nights turned
around for a good four months. I used to tease Phyllis about finding a way to
return the merchandise."

Daniel laughed. "Yes, that's the thing about having a family. You'd
better be damn ready to give up every indulgence you once enjoyed."

'It's fine if you've had a hand in the decision to be a parent,"
Phyllis said.

The smile froze on Daniel's face.

'Mother, I'm going to chalk that up to the stress you were under tonight.
But I better not ever hear you say another denigrating word to Mary or about
her ... do you understand?"

Phyllis paled. "I didn't-"

'Yes, you did," Daniel said. "And Mary didn't tell me. I heard you
myself, remember?" Then he looked at both of his parents and sighed.
"She didn't get pregnant... we did. And I couldn't have been happier. I
have been in love with Mary almost from the first date. I'd already put a down
payment on an engagement ring when she told me she was pregnant. It didn't
change anything I'd planned except the date."

Phyllis looked stunned. "But you never said ...I didn't know
that-"

'Mom ...I was twenty-six and long past telling you everything that went on
in my life. The fact that I introduced you to Mary on our second date should
have been warning enough that I was serious. How many other girls had I brought
home before her?"

Phyllis frowned. "None."

'I rest my case."

She looked at Mike and then sighed. "And I apologize. I was
wrong."

'Fine ...but I'm not the one who deserves the apology, am I?"

Phyllis stifled a groan. The last thing she wanted to do was face her
daughter-in-law with this guilt.

But she'd already lost a lot this night. She didn't want to lose what was
left of her family as well.

'I'll tend to it tomorrow."

Daniel gave her a cool look. "And I hope with more meaning than you
just implied."

Phyllis had the good grace to blush.

Chapter Three

Mary woke up on the sofa with the first rays of morning sun shining in her
eyes. The last thing she remembered was sitting beside Daniel and

Oh lord! Mike and Phyllis were here! She sat up with a jerk and then jumped
to her feet. What must they think?

When she dashed into the kitchen and found it neat and gleaming, she
groaned. Another mark against her. Phyllis would find a way to insinuate how
Daniel had to do all the work. She pivoted quickly and started down the hall,
expecting the doors to open and see accusing fingers pointed in her direction.
Instead, she was met with the soft, but familiar, sounds of muted snores from
the spare bedroom.

Thankful that her in-laws were still asleep, she peeked into her bedroom.
Their bed was empty and she could hear the shower running. Daniel was up and
getting ready for work. His diligence at the law office was starting to pay off
and she knew he didn't want to give anyone an excuse to deny him a future
partnership.

With a small sigh of relief, she moved across the hall to the nursery and
pushed the door inward. Hope was lying on her back, waving her arms at the
Mother Goose mobile hanging over her crib.

'Good morning, pretty girl," Mary whispered. The baby turned toward the
sound of her mother's voice and started to squeal.

Mary laughed as she picked Hope up and then laid her down on the changing
table.

'A dry diaper and a warm bottle, in that order, little lady. How does that
sound?"

Hope
squinched
her face into a tiny grimace and
squeaked in disapproval when Mary began unsnapping the legs on her one-piece
pajamas. "Oh, it can't be all that bad," Mary crooned, as she deftly
cleaned the baby and fastened a new
dia
per in place.
"I'll hurry. I promise. Okay?"

A couple of snaps later and Hope was good to go. Mary picked her up,
cradling her against her chest as she walked out the door, cherishing the feel
of baby curls under her chin as well as the satin-smooth texture of Hope's
delicate skin.

She met Daniel in the hall, and to her surprise, he was wearing sweats and a
T-shirt, rather than his usual suit.

'Daniel, you're going to be late."

'I'm staying home today. I've already called in."

Mary felt a small surge of panic. "Is that okay?"

He knew her fear stemmed from more than worry about his job, but there was
nothing much he could do other than what he'd already done.

'It's more than okay," he said. "They were very sympathetic to
what happened to Mom and Dad. I had no pending court cases and the paralegal is
still gathering research for that brief that's due next week, so my work will
not suffer." Then he wrapped his arms around Mary and. Hope and gave both
of them a quick kiss. "Besides, I'd rather spend the day with my two best
girls than go sift through the constant mess of our judicial system."

Mary nodded, but the frown on her face stayed in place as they walked toward
the kitchen.

'You shouldn't have let me sleep last night. What must your parents have
thought?"

``That you were exhausted and that you make damned good coffee cake."

She paused. "Really?"

He smiled and took Hope out of her arms. "Yes, really. Now go heat up
Miss Thing's bottle. I'll feed her while you make us some coffee, okay?"

Mary's heart swelled with love as she handed the baby to Daniel. Their dark
hair and stubborn chins were so identical it was almost comical. "Okay,
and I think I should start breakfast. Your parents probably have a lot to deal
with today and won't want to be delayed."

'Honey... take it easy," he said. "My parents are still asleep and
there are no deadlines to be met. Not in this house. Not today."

She smiled and nodded, then took a bottle out of the refrigerator and began
heating it as Daniel sat down in the window seat. Bracing his long legs against
the other side of the window frame, he laid the baby down in his lap. When she
stretched and then began kicking him in the stomach, he laughed.

It occurred to him as he watched Mary busying herself at the sink that he
was quite possibly the luckiest man alive. He thought back to yesterday-to all the
turmoil that had been in their lives and how close he'd come to killing himself
and Hope. If Mary hadn't thrown herself on the hood of the car, he wouldn't
have stopped, and if he hadn't stopped, he would have backed right into the
speeding driver and the police cruiser that was in pursuit. As it was, two men
had died horrible deaths, and they'd been spared.