She Discovered Too Late novel · Chapter 22 of 24

Chapter 22: Somebody Walks Beside Her

Teddy reached the top of the hill first, with his glasses fogged and his hoodie soaked through to the elbows.

He stopped ten feet from her, because he knew better than to run at her.

"Miriam," he said. "It's Teddy. Cedric's friend."

"I know who you are," Miriam said, without turning.

Arlene came up behind him a minute later, breathing hard.

She had a wool blanket over one arm and a thermos in her fist.

She looked at Miriam's bare hands, her sodden coat and the snow on her lashes.

She did not say anything about it.

She walked across the flat place, sat down in the snow beside Miriam and spread the blanket over both of them.

"Hello," Arlene said.

"Your uncle called," Teddy said. "He was crying on the phone, and I've never heard that man cry."

"He shouldn't have bothered you."

"He's family," Arlene said. "You don't get to say who bothers who."

Miriam said nothing.

Arlene unscrewed the thermos and poured coffee into the lid and held it out.

After a long moment, Miriam took it. Her hands were shaking so badly that Arlene steadied the cup with her own.

"I'm not going to do anything," Miriam said.

"Good."

"I only wanted to be up here."

"I understand that," Arlene said. Her voice was low and even.

"I've sat with hundreds of people at the end. I know what it looks like when someone wants to be where the other person is."

Miriam looked at the cup.

"I told him he lied," she said.

"I let a boy be the liar for seven years, and I never asked him one question."

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