When the Rain Cleared, So Did My Love

She held the scalding soup out toward me as she spoke.

Steam boiled off the surface, and I flinched back on instinct.

Then he cried out, his wrist turned, and the whole bowl of hot soup spilled across his own arm.

Delilah cupped her red, swelling hand and wept like a spring rain on pear blossoms.

"Rosamond, I know you're angry with me, but I already apologized. Why would you shove me…"

The room went silent in a heartbeat. Richard sucked in a sharp breath.

He tended to Delilah's burn in a panic, and when he looked at me, his eyes were full of disgust.

"Rosamond, just how vicious are you?"

"Losing your mind at home yesterday was one thing, but Delilah brings you soup out of kindness, and you throw it in her face."

"Her hand was hurt years ago saving me. Won't you be satisfied until you've crippled her!"

Pain broke me out in a cold sweat all over, and the anger I'd been holding down finally slipped loose.

"Richard, I can barely sit up. How exactly am I supposed to shove her!"

He wouldn't hear a word of it, looking down at me from where he stood.

"If you didn't push her, then what, she poured hot soup on her own hand?"

"I don't want to fight with you. Apologize to Delilah right now, and we'll put this behind us."

"Bow your head and admit you were wrong, and I'll make an exception this month. Five extra draws on the wish mystery box machine."

At the words wish mystery box, I couldn't hold back a scornful laugh.

Six months ago, when Delilah came home sick, Richard made repaying her his reason to be at her side every single day.

I could count on my fingers the times I got to see him, until I finally broke down and made a scene.

That was when he came up with the wish mystery box. I still remember the way he coaxed me so gently.

"Delilah did me a kindness. I have to take care of her. But this really isn't fair to you."

"From now on, five draws a month. All kinds of rewards inside. Whatever you pull, I'll do for you."

"I promise I'll make good on it. That works, doesn't it?"

But those hundreds of little paper twists were all meaningless scraps.

"Rosamond, what's so funny?"

Hearing me laugh, Richard's brow furrowed.

"Five extra draws is already the limit of what I'll tolerate. Don't push your luck."

I watched him quietly, my gaze drifting to Delilah in his arms.

"Richard, I'm not drawing anymore."

Richard froze for a moment, as if it hadn't registered.

"What did you say?"

"I said, I'm never drawing from that wish mystery box machine again."

"Since Delilah burned her hand, you go take good care of her. There's no need to come see me anymore."

Richard's face darkened.

"If you won't take the way out I'm giving you, then don't ever dream of me indulging you again."

He steadied Delilah carefully and walked her out.

She glanced back at me over her shoulder, a flicker of triumph in her eyes.

Their voices faded down the hall, and the room sank back into dead silence.

The phone by my pillow suddenly lit up.

【I land at seven tomorrow night. I'll come to the Farley house to pick you up.】

The next afternoon, before the IV had finished dripping, the phone at my bedside buzzed.

It was Mavis Chavez, the Farley family's housekeeper.

She kept her voice low on purpose.

"Miss Winfield, you'd better come back right away. Miss Swanson just went into your room, saw your mother's memorial tablet, and fainted from the fright."

"Mr. Farley flew into a rage, said it was terrible luck and wanted to throw the tablets out."

My head roared. I yanked the needle out of the back of my hand and dragged my broken leg toward the door.

I pushed the door open to find the housekeeper holding a garbage bag, about to pull it down over my parents' memorial tablets.