After His Heart Transplant My Husband Forgot His Daughter Chapter 04
The day before we were set to leave for San Diego, I was packing up Elodie’s room.
The doorbell rang.
Grady stood on the doorstep, holding an elegantly wrapped gift box.
“The science fair, the education fund—that was my fault.”
It was the first time he’d admitted he was wrong. But he followed it immediately with, “I’ll find a way to put the money back.”
I said nothing.
He held the gift box out to Elodie. Inside was a set of paintbrushes she had wanted for months.
“I cleared my schedule today. I’m all yours. Want to go down to the lake pier? Just the two of us. A real father-daughter day.”
Holding the brushes, Elodie’s eyes slowly brightened.
“Renata and Finn aren’t coming?”
Grady stiffened for a fraction of a second, then shook his head.
“No. Today is just for you.”
I studied him for a long moment, then stepped aside.
Not because I trusted him.
I only wanted Elodie to have a few more hours with him. Once we were in San Diego, he wouldn’t be able to drop into her life so easily.
“Have her back by three.”
“I will,” Grady promised.
He took Elodie’s hand and led her downstairs. At the car, she turned and waved up at me.
I went back to taping boxes shut.
He took Elodie’s hand and led her downstairs. At the car, she turned and waved up at me.
I went back to taping boxes shut.
Ten o’clock. Eleven. Twelve.
At 12:40, my phone rang.
“Is this Elodie Marsden’s mother? This is Lake District Medical Center. Elodie was in a serious accident at the pier and is being treated in the ER. You need to come at once.”
My hand clenched around the phone.
“Where’s her father?”
“Mr. Grady Marsden has only minor abrasions. The other mother and child who were with them are also only lightly injured, so you don’t need to—”
“The other mother and child?”
The nurse paused.
“A Ms. Renata Sorrell and her son, Finn.”
I didn’t hear another word she said.
Grady had lied again.
He’d sworn the day was just for Elodie, then made a detour to pick up Renata and Finn.
I grabbed my keys and ran.
By the time I reached the hospital, the emergency hallway was a scene of controlled chaos.
Grady sat on a bench, a raw scrape on his elbow. Renata leaned against him, a strip of gauze taped to her forehead. Finn was bundled in a blanket, a shallow scrape on one knee.
All three of them were out here.
Grady sat on a bench, a raw scrape on his elbow. Renata leaned against him, a strip of gauze taped to her forehead. Finn was bundled in a blanket, a shallow scrape on one knee.
All three of them were out here.
Only Elodie was in the trauma room.
I stormed over and hauled Grady to his feet.
“You said it would be just the two of you.”
His lips were white.
“Sabine, calm down—”
“Why was Renata at the pier? Why is Elodie in the emergency room?”
Renata stood, her voice tearful. “Finn just really wanted to see the lake. Grady was trying to surprise him. We never thought anything would happen.”
“I wasn’t asking you.”
I stared at Grady.
“What happened?”
He wouldn’t meet my eyes. His shoulders began to shake.
“A boat was docking, and the mooring line got tangled around Elodie’s hand. Just then a big wave from a passing boat hit the pier. Finn was standing in the shallows, and the splash scared him, and he started crying.”
“Can he swim?”
“He was wearing a life jacket.”
“How deep was the water?”
Grady swallowed.
“Only up to his waist.”
My nails dug into my palms.
My nails dug into my palms.
“And Elodie?”
“Her hand was caught between the rope and the pier cleat. She was calling for me, but Finn was crying so hard, and I was afraid he’d fall, so I went to—”
He couldn’t finish.
I finished for him.
“So you ran past Elodie and picked up Finn.”
Grady’s eyes were red-rimmed.
“I thought I had time. Finn was terrified. I just wanted to get him onto the dock first, and then I was going to help Elodie.”
“How far was she from you?”
“A few feet.”
“And Finn?”
He said nothing.
Renata spoke softly. “There’s no point arguing about this now. He didn’t mean for it to happen.”
I whipped my head around.
“Shut up.”
Her face went pale, and she clutched Finn tighter.
I turned back to Grady.
“And then?”
“I had just picked Finn up when the second wave hit. The boat lurched, and the rope snapped tight.”
He lifted his scraped hand and covered his face.
He lifted his scraped hand and covered his face.
“Elodie was screaming. By the time I got back to her, the rope had crushed her fingers. I couldn’t get it loose. I had to scream for someone to bring a knife.”
His voice was shaking violently.
“I really thought Finn was in danger.”
“Finn was in a life jacket, standing in waist-deep water,” I said, enunciating every word.
“Your daughter had her hand trapped in a rope right in front of you. You heard her calling your name, and you ran past her to save someone else’s child.”
Grady opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
For four years, every time Renata or Finn called, he had gone to them first.
This time, he had left Elodie behind for good.
The light above the trauma room door went dark.
A doctor pushed through, pulling off his mask.
“Family of Elodie Marsden?”
“I’m her mother.”
I walked toward him on legs that felt like stilts.
He flipped open the chart, his expression grave.
“Her hand was compressed by the mooring line for a significant amount of time. Two fingers sustained the most severe damage. We’ve completed debridement and surgical repair, but the nerve and tendon damage is extensive.”
“Will she recover?”
The doctor paused.
“This kind of crush injury is often irreversible.”
“Her hand was compressed by the mooring line for a significant amount of time. Two fingers sustained the most severe damage. We’ve completed debridement and surgical repair, but the nerve and tendon damage is extensive.”
“Will she recover?”
The doctor paused.
“This kind of crush injury is often irreversible.”
Behind me, Grady sucked in a strangled breath.
The doctor went on, “In simple terms, she will likely never regain normal function in those two fingers. She’ll have great difficulty with grip strength, and fine motor skills will be a significant challenge from now on.”