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“You really have had a bad day. Sit, and I’ll get the coffee started.” She turned to the sink and rinsed the coffee carafe, then started brewing a new pot. After finding coffee cups in one of the cupboards, she set them on the counter and settled into a chair opposite his. “Is this about someone close to you?”
One corner of his mouth lifted, though the grim expression in his eyes never wavered. “Not nearly close enough.”
“Who?”
“Katie’s mother.”
Dana drew in a sharp breath. “Oh, no. How? What happened?”
He sighed heavily. “It’s...a long story.”
“How awful. Losing her mom will be so hard on her.” His hands were folded on the table, and she reached over to lay her hands on his. “And you—even if you were divorced, you had a child together. That’s a bond that doesn’t end.”
He shook his head slowly. “I need to explain something here. I should have done it earlier, but—”
Small footsteps shuffled across the vinyl flooring, and they both turned to see Katie approach, rubbing her eyes with one fist and dragging her old doll along by one arm.
When she lifted her arms in silent supplication, Zach shoved his chair back and swept her up onto his lap. “You still look tired, honey.”
She leaned her head against his chest and closed her sleep-glazed eyes, looking as content and secure in his arms as Dana had seen her. They’ve bonded well now. She’s going to need that more than ever.
He rubbed her back gently and met Dana’s gaze, then closed his eyes and rested his cheek against her tousled hair. After a long moment, he began talking to the child in a gentle voice. “Remember the night you first came to see me? Your momma brought you to my house, and she brought a bag with your clothes. Remember?”
Katie gave an almost imperceptible nod.
“And she said, ‘I need a safe place for my Katie.’ She brought you to me because she knew I would take care of you and love you, forever and ever, even if she couldn’t come back.”
Katie straightened and pulled away from him. A radiant smile lit her face as she tried to scramble off his lap. “Mommy’s here? Where?”
He held her in place, his arms looped gently around her back. “No, Katie. She isn’t here. But I promised her that I’d take care of you and love you. She had to go far away, and she got very, very sick. She got so sick that her body stopped working, and now she’s up in heaven.”
Fat tears welled up in Katie’s eyes as she twisted, back and forth, trying to check the windows and door. “I want my mommy back! I want to go home.”
The ravaged expression in Zach’s eyes made Dana’s heart stumble.
“She can’t come back to us, Katie,” Zach continued gently. “She’s with the angels now, where she can watch over us. But...” He took a shaky breath. “I know she will love you forever. Even from heaven.”
“I want Mommy back!” She slithered out of his grasp and ran to the door. With both hands on the doorknob, she tugged and twisted, her face wet with tears and her little feet slipping against the floor. Her voice rose to a shriek. “I wanna go home!”
“I made a big mess of this, didn’t I,” Zach said in a voice too low for Katie to hear. “I should’ve asked you first about the best way to tell her.”
“I couldn’t have suggested anything better. She isn’t really going to understand this for a long, long time, Zach. Young kids think Mom or brother or the family dog can still come back someday.” She rose and went to the door, then kneeled next to Katie. “Come here, sweetie. I need a hug, don’t you?”
Her hands still clasped over the doorknob, Katie gave a sharp shake of her head. “No! I want my mommy.”
“I know you do. We all wish she could be here. But she can’t.” Dana shifted into an Indian-style sitting position and gently pulled Katie into her lap. “You’ve got your daddy, though. He won’t ever go away. And you’ve got your puppy and those silly geese. And Molly and Alex and me.”
Deep, racking sobs shook through Katie. “I don’t got a daddy.”
“Sweetie, you have lots of people who love you, and your daddy, too.” Dana rocked back and forth holding the child tight. She began singing all of the lullabies she could remember, keeping her voice low and soothing, until Katie’s sobs quieted and only an occasional hiccup shook her thin chest. “Why don’t you two come over for supper tonight, Zach?”
“No...” Zach rose and moved to a window where he braced his arms on the window frame and stared out into the empty yard. “I don’t think we’d be very good company.”
“We’re throwing some steaks on the grill. It might be good for both of you to get out of here for a while, don’t you think? Molly and I can help with Katie.”
After a long pause, he gave the child a somber smile, though his eyes were filled with infinite sadness. “I guess. Just let me check my e-mail before we leave. There could be more news.”
While he was gone, Dana crossed the room to the washer and dryer alcove, found a clean washcloth in a laundry basket on top of the dryer, and washed Katie’s hands and face with cool water.
