Chapter 15 - Sophie's First Birthday Changes Richard
For Sophie’s first birthday, Richard rented nothing.
No ballroom.
No caterer.
No corporate guests.
Emily had threatened him.
“Normal birthday or you’re not invited.”
So Richard arrived with grocery-store balloons and a cake that leaned slightly to the left.
Emily stared at it.
“You bought that?”
“I chose it personally.”
“That explains the structural failure.”
He laughed.
Sophie smashed frosting into both hands.
For a few hours, nobody mentioned Ryan.
Then Richard found Emily alone on the porch.
“You okay?”
“Yes.”
“Really?”
Emily looked through the window at her daughter.
“Mostly.”
Richard nodded.
After a while, he said, “I keep thinking about the hospital.”
“So do I.”
“I walked in wanting to hit him.”
“I noticed.”
“I thought protecting you meant taking control.”
Emily looked at him.
“That runs in this family.”
Richard smiled sadly.
“I’m learning.”
She leaned against his shoulder.
“Me too.”
He handed her a small box.
Inside was the pen he had used to sign the hospital safety plan.
Emily laughed.
“You kept this?”
“I thought someday we’d throw it away.”
She closed the box.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because that signature wasn’t what saved me.”
Richard looked at her.
“I know.”
Emily smiled.
“But it was the first time that day somebody signed something because I asked for help instead of because they wanted control.”
May you like
Richard’s eyes filled.
Neither spoke for a while.
