Orchids and Stone Read Online Free PDF Page B

movies.”
    “But . . . it’s possible.” She squirmed, tucking her shirt in, zipping up. “The old lady said they were taking her house, her car, all her money. She said they were kidnapping her.”
    “Honey, she’s fine. That woman you saw in the park, she’s probably as fine as she can be. She’s with her daughter and her son or son-in-law.”
    “You said you would have done more.”
    He put his palms up. “I said maybe. And I didn’t say what.”
    When she entreated the dog to rise, Vic hung the leash back on the hook and spooned his body against hers in a full body hug, pressing her against the fridge. “Look, Daph, I know lightning has struck twice for you—”
    “That’s not it,” she protested. “I’m going to the park. Now. I’m going to where she was when I first saw her, and where I last saw her. She was in trouble, Vic.”
    “This was not lightning. I don’t think so, Daph.”
    “You don’t?”
    “No. This was some strangers having a bad day, that’s all. It’s difficult with older people, sometimes. They can be trying.”
    “They just need time,” Daphne said, thinking of Vic’s father and how she’d learned to deal with how he forgot who she was, how he could take forever to answer a question. “They need patience. When it seems like they’re . . . trying, as you call it, old people just need time.”
    “And young people?”
    She soured at his prompt, looking away. He could leave her efforts with his kids out of this.
    Vic smoothed her hair and said, “Daph, you saw people you don’t know having a bad moment. You know, in your heart of hearts—”
    “My heart of hearts.” Her hands made fists over her breasts.
    Vic placed his hands over hers, resting his chin on her head and softening his voice. “You know this happens all the time, all over the world. People have little crises. Strangers see glimpses and keep their noses out of other people’s business.”
    “Some of those strangers help.”
    “Daph.”
    “Some of them do. And others should. Just like . . .” But she couldn’t finish.
    She didn’t have to. Vic knew what happened when she was in college. He even knew what happened when she was a kid.
    “This was not lightning again. Not again.”
    “What if it was? Imagine, like you always say, what’s the worst-case, the best-case scenario?”
    “Please stop this.”
    “Worst-case is she was in real trouble and—”
    “That is very unlikely. Let’s leave the drama to Josie in this family. She’s quite good at it.”
    Daphne would have none of his attempt at levity. “And no one, not even me, would help her.”
    “Can we be done with this, please?” Vic asked. “Can we both just take it as an opportunity, a reminder? We’ll be more thoughtful. Nothing in the past can be changed. Whatever happened in the park—and probably nothing bad happened—it’s over. There’s nothing to be accomplished now, no good purpose served in agonizing.”
    “But . . .”
    “Daphne, the best-case is some little old lady has family taking care of her when she goes off in la-la land. You’re with me on that?”
    “I am. I get it. That’s the best-case.”
    “So, okay,” he said.
    “But, Vic, what’s the worst-case?” When he wouldn’t answer, she hesitated then whispered. “The worst-case is some little old lady needed help—begged me for help—and I didn’t help her. I did nothing.”
    No matter how many times Vic told her she was being a nut, that they would freeze, that it was dangerous at night, Daphne brushed away his protests.
    “We’ll bring Grazie,” she said, reaching again for the dog’s leash.
    The fluffy tan tail thumped on the kitchen linoleum at the leash’s advertisement of a late-night walk. Still, she stayed lying down. The old hips ached and she sometimes needed a physical boost to get to her feet.
    “That’ll be a big help,” Vic said. “She’ll scare off all the thugs. Look at her.”
    “If people would just do something