Chapter 7: The Accident

Until that night, when Derek’s phone got a call from out of state.

The house was quiet, the only sound the buzz of the dryer in the next room. Derek’s phone rang, area code unfamiliar, and I watched him tense before answering.

He steadied his breathing against my shoulder as he answered, right in front of me.

It was the first time in years he’d let his guard down, his hand clutching mine as if drawing strength from my presence. I wanted to believe it meant something.

Because I was so close, I clearly heard the crying female voice on the other end.

The sound broke through the walls I’d built around my heart. Lillian’s sobs were unmistakable—raw, desperate, like she’d hit bottom.

Derek froze.

He didn’t move, didn’t speak, just stood there as if paralyzed by the weight of old love.

One second… five seconds… ten seconds…

The seconds ticked by, each one slicing a little deeper. I stood rooted to the spot, unable to breathe.

A full thirty seconds passed before he reacted, hurriedly grabbed a bathrobe, and rushed out.

The door slammed, and I sank onto the bed, numb. The house felt emptier than ever, the silence pressing in on all sides.

That night, Derek never came back.

I lay awake, staring at the ceiling, listening for his key in the lock. It never came.

The next day, I learned from my parents that Lillian had had an accident while dancing and broke her leg.

The news landed like a cold slap—one more thing I could never fix.

Derek personally brought her back.

He carried her inside, bridal style, like some kind of hero. My mother fussed over them both, while I stood in the hallway, invisible as ever.

Although she stayed at my parents’ house, anything related to Lillian, Derek handled himself.

He was her shadow—fetching meds, adjusting pillows, making her tea just right. Their old rhythms picked up like nothing had changed.