Chapter 6 - The Letter at Our Door
The woman introduced herself as Emily Carter.
Lily’s mother.
She had driven from Tennessee.
The envelope she carried had Samuel’s handwriting on it.
Arthur invited her inside.
Boone immediately recognized something about her scent and sat beside her.
Emily cried.
“I haven’t seen him since I was twenty-eight.”
She opened her purse and removed a photograph of Boone sleeping beside a much younger Lily.
Then she handed Arthur the envelope.
Inside was a letter Samuel had written after we left.
Arthur read it silently.
Then again.
Finally, he passed it to me.
Samuel wrote that Boone had spent his life helping frightened people stand up again.
First Lily.
Now Arthur.
He asked Arthur not to treat Boone like a reminder of weakness.
He asked him to treat Boone as proof that survival could have scars and still be beautiful.
Arthur folded the letter.
For a long time he said nothing.
Then the phone rang.
It was Paul from the restaurant.
“Mr. Hale, I’m sorry to bother you.”
“What happened?”
Paul hesitated.
“The woman from the neighboring table came back.”
Arthur’s face tightened.
“Diane?”
“Yes.”
“What does she want?”
“She wants to speak with you.”
Arthur immediately shook his head.
“No.”
I agreed.
We owed Diane nothing.
Then Paul said:
“She brought something.”
“What?”
“A photograph.”
Arthur frowned.
“Of what?”
May you like
Paul took a breath.
“Of Boone.”
