The Way to Yesterday Read Online Free PDF Page A

"What
happened?"
    'Mom and Dad's house burned down."
    "Oh no! Are they all right?"
    He nodded.
    'Go get them. They belong with us." Daniel sighed. Hearing Mary say
what he'd already contemplated was a huge relief. After what he'd witnessed
earlier, he'd feared the last thing
    Mary would stand for was having his parents under her roof.
    'Thank you," he whispered, and then turned back to the phone.
"Mom?"
    'I'm here," she said. "Mike wanted me to tell you which motel
we'll be at."
    'No motel, Mom. We want you here. As soon as I get dressed, I'm coming after
you and Dad."
    Phyllis hesitated. She wasn't sure if she was ready to face her
daughter-in-law under such intimate circumstances.
    'Are you sure?" she finally asked. "I mean, your wife might
not-"
    'Her name is Mary, Mom, and it was her idea first. Not mine. I'll see you
soon."
    Phyllis heard him disconnect and then replaced the receiver. She knew
Daniel. When he set his mind to something, there was no turning him back. She
looked at her husband.
    'Mike, go wash your face. Daniel is coming to get us."
    Mary dashed into the spare bedroom as Daniel pulled out of the driveway. It
would take him about twenty minutes to get across town to where his parents
lived, then another twenty or so to get back. It would give her just enough
time to put clean sheets on the spare bed and find some fresh clothing for
Phyllis and Mike to put on. Her hands were shaking as she began her duties,
trying to imagine the heart break of losing forty years of accumulated
possessions and memorabilia.
    Then suddenly she froze. She still had all the worldly possessions. It was
her loved ones that were really gone.
    In that moment, she felt herself trying to surface from the indulgence of
this fantasy. Before it could happen, Hope let out a wail and Mary began resubmerging , pushing away the fear and returning to the
dream-because it was safer-and because it was where she wanted to be.
    She blinked, then looked up. The bedroom was still the same and Daniel's
winter clothes were still hanging in the extra closet. With a sigh of relief,
she pulled the last pillow slip onto the pillow and dropped it in place, making
sure that the bed was turned back in an inviting manner, then bolted out of the
room toward the nursery.
    'Mommy's coming, honey. Don't cry."
    She'd taken a coffee cake out of the freezer and had it thawing on the
cabinet. Hope had been changed and fed and Mary was in the act of laying out a
clean nightgown and pajamas when she heard Daniel's car in the driveway. With a
last look at the bedroom to assure herself that everything was in place, she
hurried to the front door. They were just coming up the steps as she opened the
door to greet them.
    'Phyllis... Mike... thank goodness you're both all right."
    She took Phyllis by the hand and pulled her into the house. They were
red-eyed and soot-stained and the smell of smoke was all about them.
    'I'm so sorry," she said softly, then gave Phyllis a quick hug before
moving on to Daniel's father.
    'Mike, tell me you're both okay?"
    'As good as could be expected, I guess."
    Mary nodded then her gaze moved to Daniel, as if seeking his approval.
    'I've given your father a pair of your clean pajamas and you two can sort
through other clothes later." Then she turned to Daniel's mother.
"Phyllis, you'll find a clean nightgown at the foot of your bed beside
Mike's pajamas. There are clean towels in the bathroom as well as shampoo and a
hair dryer. Please use anything you need. When you've both had a chance to
clean up, come to the kitchen. I've made some hot chocolate and there's coffee
cake to go with it."
    Mike O'Rourke seemed to go limp with relief, as if he'd been holding himself
together by sheer will alone.
    'Thank you, dear. We appreciate you and Daniel having us here and we'll try
not to be a bother."
    "Family is never a bother," Mary said. Guilt rode hard on
Phyllis's conscience as she let Mike lead her down the hall toward the guest
room. She paused in