Heavenstone 02 - Secret Whispers

than our doctor. He’s an old friend,” I said.
    “The nurse’s name is Lila Millard. She says she’ll be fine sleeping on the sofa in the bedroom suite. I’ll be back in the morning. You’re going to the office, right?” he asked Ethan.
    “Yes. I’ll get what I can organized and join you at the hospital.”
    “I’m sure Teddy will insist on going back, too,” Uncle Perry said. He looked at me for a long moment before speaking. “You should get some rest now, Sam. It’s going to be a difficult few days.”
    “She’ll be okay,” Ethan told him, and looked at me. “You want to go up to say good night to your father now and then go to bed yourself, honey. You look pretty tired.”
    “Do I? Okay,” I said.
    Uncle Perry hugged me and whispered, “I’m going to spend more time with you, Sam. I promise.”
    “That’ll be nice,” I told him.
    He kissed my cheek, nodded at Ethan, and left.
    “You won’t wear your sister’s clothes tomorrow, will you, Semantha?”
    “No, I don’t have to.”
    “You don’t have to? Why did you have to now?”
    I just smiled at him.
    “Will you let me send for a stylist to repair what you’ve done to your hair?”
    “I can go to the salon myself, Ethan,” I said. “Stop worrying about me so much.”
    I started for the stairway. He hurried to catch up and take my arm to make me pause.
    “Don’t let your father feel or think you’re happy about Lucille, Semantha. That would be a terrible, terrible mistake.”
    “I think I know how to talk to my father, Ethan. I love my father, and he loves me. I wouldn’t do anything to hurt him or bring him more sorrow.”
    “All right,” he said. “I’m going to sleep. Your uncle is right. It’s going to be a very difficult few days ahead.”
    He walked past me and up the stairs. I followed slowly and then turned to Daddy’s bedroom. Dr. Moffet was just leaving.
    “Ah, Semantha, another tragedy befalls Heaven-stone. I’m sorry,” he said.
    “The Heaven-stone family is used to tragedy and knows how to overcome it,” I said. I was sure I was repeating something Cassie had said, perhaps even to him after Mother’s death.
    “Yes. Well, best to take each day as it comes.” He patted me on the arm and continued out.
    I smiled to myself. Old Dr. Moffet, oblivious to the obvious things sometimes but with microscope eyes when it came to analyzing illness. Were we all doctors that way, oblivious to the obvious, too narrowly focused? I waited to hear Cassie’s response, but there was nothing but silence.
    “Where are you?” I called down the hallway. Then I went to Daddy’s bedroom. The nurse was taking his blood pressure. She looked up as I entered. Daddy was lying there with his eyes closed.
    “He’s exhausted,” she said. “Just a few minutes.”
    I ignored her just as Cassie would and went right to Daddy’s side.
    “You’re home and in your own bed, Daddy,” I said, taking his hand.
    He opened his eyes and looked at me. “We’re going to lose our Lucille,” he said. His lips quivered.
    “We’ll be fine, Daddy. We have each other.”
    “She was good for us, Semantha, for all of us.”
    Tears came to my eyes, not for Lucille but for Daddy, who was suffering from grief already.
    “Take my advice and cherish one another, Semantha. Snap out of your doldrums or whatever is wrong with you, and enjoy your husband and your marriage. I’m depending on you more than ever now.”
    “I will, Daddy. I promise,” I said.
    “You’d better let him rest,” the nurse said. She was practically hovering over me.
    “Good night, Daddy. I’ll be here as soon as I wake up,” I said, and kissed him. He held my hand longer, held it as if he never wanted to let it go.
    Daddy’s back, I thought. I didn’t need Cassie to tell me.
    Ethan was already in bed when I entered our bedroom. I moved about as quietly as I could. When I was in the bathroom, I looked at myself in the mirror and admitted to myself that I had made a terrible mess of my hair. I would call the salon first thing after breakfast. I was confident they’d fit me in. Everyone in this community would hear about Daddy’s accident. It would be breaking news on television and radio.
    When I crawled under the blanket, I expected Ethan would turn to talk to me, but he was apparently in a deep sleep already. I didn’t want to wake him, but I couldn’t fall asleep quickly. I lay there staring up into the darkness. Flashing on the ceiling were scenes from