Sarah began sobbing.
“I know, Mom. We did exactly the opposite. We became so accustomed to having you around that we forgot you had a life of your own.”
Michael took my hand.
“When we saw the photograph, we immediately recognized Daniel. We panicked because we knew that if he told you about Dad’s final wish, you would discover what we’d promised him and how badly we’d failed to keep that promise.”
I remained silent for a long time.
“So you don’t think he’s a dangerous man?”
Michael lowered his head.
“No. We just panicked. Sarah was afraid someone might take advantage of your loneliness. And then we remembered who he was, and everything became even more confusing.”
I turned toward Daniel.
“Why didn’t you tell me from the beginning that you knew my husband?”
He smiled.
“Because our meeting really was a coincidence. At first, I didn’t realize you were Thomas’s Margaret. He’d only shown me a picture of you from your younger days. Yesterday, when you told me about your late husband and mentioned his name, I began to suspect it. But today, when you laughed, I finally recognized you.”
