The story of their marriage was mostly a good one – or so she thought, right up until the point when she found out about his affair. It’s a long time to not know one is living with a lie. She doesn’t know if she’ll ever get over it.
For today, however, she will honour the father of her children. And the father of Adelaide’s child, she supposes.
She will need to let Adelaide know what has happened. They are to be bound together in this death.
The doctor comes, does what he needs to do, expresses his condolences, and leaves. It is not the first time in her life that Daphne has been grateful for the quiet dignity afforded her by medical professionals, and she doubts it will be the last.
‘Mum,’ Janet says as she closes the door on the doctor, ‘I’ll call the funeral home.’
Noel is already on his way; Daphne called him as soon as Hector died. So she’s not alone on this day when the story ends – but Adelaide will be, unless Daphne does something about it. Unless she decides to start a new story.
When Noel arrives he and Janet start making a list of everyone to call.
Daphne remains with Hector, and picks up the phone in their bedroom.
Adelaide answers on the second ring.
‘Hello,’ Daphne says.
‘Daphne.’ Adelaide sounds unsure.
‘I need to tell you …’ She stops. The next thing she says is going to change Adelaide’s life and she takes that seriously.
‘Yes?’
‘Addy, Hector’s gone.’
Silence. A noise.
‘He died this morning,’ Daphne goes on. ‘I wanted you to know.’
‘Oh, Daph.’
Daphne hears a sob on the end of the phone, and feels it too.
‘He’s still here,’ she says. ‘Would you like to see him?’
She has thought through this suggestion. There’s not much time to make sure the business of the dead is completed. They have to act now.
‘You don’t –’ Another sob. ‘You don’t have to do that.’
‘I know.’
Daphne feels as if she’s being pulled into a liminal space, where the choices of her life, Adelaide’s life, Hector’s life, are mixed together and could go in any direction.
‘But it’s important, Addy. Isn’t it?’
‘Yes,’ Adelaide half-whispers.
‘I’ll send Noel to pick you up.’
‘All right.’
Daphne hangs up and goes downstairs to ask her son to retrieve the woman who not long ago had brought them so much pain. But before that she was Daphne’s great friend, and a death has a way of changing the stakes of all interactions.
When Adelaide arrives, Daphne goes to the door to greet her.
‘He’s upstairs,’ she says, showing her in.