Chapter 13
It looked like a family. The man held a child in his arms, laughing wholeheartedly, while the woman sat on a picnic blanket nearby, bundled up in thick layers.
carefully arranging plates
They looked so happy, Arthur thought. If Winter had lived, if he and Cindy were still together, their child would probably be around that age by now.
The park had a vast lake. Ever since Cindy’s death, Arthur had developed a fear of water, yet today, he felt drawn to it for some reason he couldn’t explain.
The lake’s surface rippled in the breeze, and as he stared at the overlapping waves, it feltas if they might swallow him whole.
Suddenly, a sharp voice called out behind him. “Hey! What are you doing!
pped back, only then realizing he was already half–leaning against the
Arthur turned and saw a face he never thought he’d lay eyes on again in this lifetime. He stepped calling No wonder Sylvan had assumed he was thinkingof doing something drastic
They stood in silence for a full minute before the little girl in Sylvan’s arms, Celeste, tilted her head and gave Arthur a curious look, “Mister, what are you doing?
Arthur’s throat tightened Maybe it had just been too long since he’d last spoken.
“I’in just looking at the view,” he said.
“Well, you should stand farther back. You don’t want to fall into the lake. The
ie water’s really cold.”
She was surprisingly thoughtful for her age.
sylvan, however, remained silent. This was the first time they’d seen each other since that day three years ago–when Arthur had mished to see Cindy one last time after her death, only to be met with Sylvan’s fists.
“What a coincidence. It’s been a while, Mr. Forsyth,” Sylvan said, his lips curling into a smile that held no warmth, his eyes like ice.
“It has,” Arthur replied.
It felt as if something had been ripped from his soul. He stared at Sylvan, his face devoid of emotion. But lus clenched fists and Celeste’s innocent expression didn’t escape him.
When he finally spoke, his words came out so faintly he could barely hear himself. “Are you mamed now? Congratulations.”
“This is my uncle, not my dad,” Celeste piped up as if she were used to clarifying it.
Then, she giggled. “Mister, do I look lilur Uncle Sylvan? Everyone says I do.”
“Cece, that’s enough. You shouldn’t talk so much to strangers Sylvan cut in, shutting down the conversation.
His face was set in a hard line as Celeste quietly wrapped her arms around his neck. She rested her chin on Sylvan’s shoulder, stuck her tongue out at Arthur, and gave him a little wave.
Arthur instinctively waved back. Sylvan was actually back, he thought. Three years ago, he’d heard that Sylvan had resigned from the hospital and supposedly moved to another state. He never expected to see him again.
The truth was, Sylvan had never really been his rival as a doctor. What happened three years ago wasn’t even a light. It was Sylvan pinning him to the ground and beating him senseless
Arthur had been helpless, forced to take hit after hit until one of his teeth was knocked out. Even now, whenever his tongue ran over the space where that molat had been, a dull ache would spread through his mouth and skull
That vold would always remain, just like the loss of Cindy. The pain was too deep to forget.
But Sylvan was raising a child with another woman. Arthur had never seen that coming. He had assumed Sylvan would be like him–bound to spend the rest of his Life incapable of loving anyone else.
Yet, it made sense. Arthur had been the one to cast himself as Cindy’s widower. This was the bitter fateh
e he’d carved out for himself. Would she have thrown herself into that freezing river if not for the relentless pain he’d put her through?
She had always feared the cold. She had traveled all the way from the South to study here, yet even bundled up in thick scarves and down jackets, she would still shiver, as it struggling against her own instinct to seek warmth.
Arthur knew Cindy had stayed for him. And that was precisely why he saw, with painful clarity, just how cruel he had been.
A Winter’s close t
friend, Cindy was just as devastated by her death as anyone else. But the Forsyths showed no mercy, forcing her away when all she wanted was a
Arthur could never forgive them, or himself.
He signaled for Celeste in
When Sylvan carned celeste back to the car, he noticed the heater was cranked up, and Cindy had already fallen asleep in the backseat. H Stay quiet, and she understood right away, pressing her lips together.
shil, the sound of the car door opening timed Cindy awake.
Rubbing her eyes, she asked, lier voice still heavy with sleep. “How is everything? is everything alright? Let me hold Celeste.”
Nothing,” Sylvan said, almost hating himself for meddling.
He wouldn’t have spaced him a second lookit he’d known it was Arthur by the water.
“We were wrong. He was just fishing,” he added.
Celeste nestled into Cindy’s arms, tilting her head up with a sweet smile. “Mominy, thank you for taking me out today.”
“You’re welcome, Cece.“Cindy laughed, kissing her rosy cheek. “Did you remember to thank Uncle Sylvan?”
He loved hanging out even more than I did!” Celeste hulled, but her expression softened just as quickly. “Mommy, after we go back, will you be gone for days again? What if I miss you?
“That won’t happen. I came back this time so you can see me every day,” Cindy said.
a thread and
Three years ago, Cindy had nearly drowned. Sylvan was the one who had pulled her from the water, risking his own life. She had been hanging by a th wouldn’t have made it without him.
After three grueling years of recovery, her body had finally stabilized enough for surgery. Unfortunately, every hospital in the South had deemed the procedure too
Bringing Cindy back to Jorleston had been a last resort, and Sylvan had gone to great lengths to take her death. When he ran into Arthur earlier, a cold sweat had prickled down his back.
