Chapter 1 - THE WOMAN WHO UNDERSTOOD EVERY WORD
“Why haven't you told them?”
Lillian Mercer's hands moved slowly, but her eyes were sharp.
I stared at her.
Outside the sunroom windows, snow pressed against the glass.
Inside, the rest of the Mercer family was laughing over coffee.
I could hear Caroline's voice.
Heather's laughter.
Daniel asking someone whether they wanted another drink.
I looked back at Lillian.
Because I love Daniel, I signed.
She studied me.
And?
I swallowed.
Because I don't know what happens if I tell him.
Lillian nodded slowly.
Then she asked something I wasn't prepared for.
Do you think he will believe you?
My hands froze.
I wanted to answer immediately.
Of course he would.
Daniel loved me.
He'd proposed beneath the maple trees outside my apartment.
He'd cried when I said yes.
He'd spent an entire Saturday helping me repair the shelves in my classroom.
He was kind.
Patient.
Thoughtful.
But he'd also told me his mother liked me.
And he'd never noticed the way his grandmother sat alone at family dinners.
I lowered my eyes.
I don't know.
Lillian reached for my hand.
Her fingers were thin.
Warm.
Steady.
Then she signed:
Then perhaps he needs to learn.
I looked at her.
She smiled.
Not kindly.
Mischievously.
May you like
And suddenly, I understood why Caroline Mercer had spent so many years pretending her mother-in-law couldn't see what was happening around her.
Lillian had been watching everything.
