Chapter 5 - THE FRAGILE PEACE
Nora didn't let him in, but she didn't slam the door. She went out to the park with Emma, and Gabriel followed at a distance, watching from a bench. He saw Emma run, saw her trip and scrape her knee, and saw Nora’s immediate, frantic care. He saw the way she didn't care about her professional image, didn't care about her clothes, didn't care about anything but the girl in her arms.
He waited for three hours. When they finally headed home, Nora stopped in front of his bench. "She likes the book."
Gabriel held up the copy he had brought. "Can I... can I read it to her?"
Nora looked at her daughter, then at him. "Ten minutes. On the porch. No politics, no business, no apologies. Just the book."
May you like
He sat on the porch steps. Emma was hesitant at first, her gray-green eyes studying him with the same solemn suspicion she’d had at the terminal. But Gabriel was patient. He began to read, his voice low and steady. Emma settled against him, the weight of her against his chest the most significant thing he had ever felt.
"Once upon a time," he began, and for the first time in forty years, he felt as if the story was actually true.
