Treading Water Read Online Free

from the day at the beach
and her dark hair shining.
    “ Maggie? Are you are all
right?” When she scrambled to wipe her face on the sheet, his heart
began to ache.
    “ Uh-huh.”
    Stepping into the room, he moved hesitantly
toward the bed, not sure if he’d be welcome. “Can I get you
anything? Some water, maybe?”
    “ No, thanks. I’m
fine.”
    “ Okay.” As he turned to
leave, something stopped him. He wasn’t sure if it was Clare
looking down on him from wherever she was just then or what, but he
couldn’t bring himself to leave his child crying in her bed.
Summoning courage, he sat on the edge of the bed. “You want to talk
about it?”
    She bit her lip, and his heart broke all
over again when her eyes filled with new tears. “Is Mommy ever
coming back?” The small voice was so unlike her. Apparently, he
wasn’t the only one adjusting to yet another change in their
lives.
    “ Oh, honey, I don’t think
so.”
    She sat up and reached for him. “Why did
Mommy let that car hit her?” she asked with a sob as she clung to
him.
    How long had she waited to ask him these
questions? “Baby, she didn’t do it on purpose. She froze because
she was scared. The accident hurt something in her brain, so she
can’t be with us. But inside, where her heart is, she still loves
you and Kate and Jill and me very, very much. You have to believe
that.” He settled her back onto the pillow and tucked her in
again.
    “ I do,” she said, wiping
her face.
    “ Good, because as long as
you believe it, then you’ll feel Mommy’s love, no matter where she
is.” He wished he could believe it.
    “ Will you be here when I
wake up?”
    The question tugged at his already raw
emotions. “You bet. I’ll even make my famous chocolate chip
pancakes.” It was the only thing they allowed him to cook.
    “ Awesome!” she said,
sounding more like herself again.
    “ See you in the
morning.”
    He walked out to find Frannie waiting for
him in the hallway. She had gathered her long auburn hair into a
ponytail and was dressed for bed in a T-shirt and sweats.
    Spent, he rubbed the back of his neck. “How
much did you hear?”
    “ Enough. You said all the
right things.”
    “ I’m so tired,” he said,
anxious to get upstairs where he could be alone.
    “ Go to bed. I’ll wait up
for Jill.”
    “ Where is she?”
    “ On a date.”
    “ With who?”
    “ A boy in her class named
Kyle. I’ve met him. Seems nice.”
    Jack realized that he should’ve met the boy
his daughter was out with. Next time, he’d make sure he did. “Well,
if you don’t mind waiting up…”
    “ I’ve got a movie to watch.
Go to bed.”
    “ Thanks, Frannie. For
everything.”
    “ My pleasure.” She kissed
his cheek and headed downstairs.
    Jack went up the spiral stairs to his room
and wandered again to the deck overlooking the pool and ocean
farther below. He waited to crawl into bed until he was certain he
was tired enough to drift off to sleep without being tortured by
unpleasant thoughts. Just as sleep overtook him, the phone rang,
jarring him awake.
    He waited, hoping Frannie would answer it.
On the third ring, he grabbed it.
    “ Dad?” Jill sounded a bit
frantic. “Can you get Frannie?”
    “ She must’ve fallen asleep
downstairs. She didn’t pick up.”
    “ I need to talk to
her.”
    Something about Jill’s tone and the slight
slur to her speech caught his attention. “What’s wrong?”
    “ I need a ride
home.”
    “ What happened to your
date?”
    “ Can you just get Frannie?
Please?”
    “ I’ll come get you. Where
are you?”
    “ That’s all right. I’ll
find a ride.”
    “ Jill. Tell me where you
are. Right now.”
    Reluctantly, or so it seemed to him, she
gave him the address.
    “ I’ll be right there. Don’t
move.”
    He threw on clothes, grabbed his keys and
cell phone, and went downstairs, where Frannie was curled up on the
sofa sound asleep. Not at all sure of what he would find when he
got there, he drove into