Page 133 of The Quiet Witness

Ethan? Wait, what is going on here?

Lucien waved the compliments away with a loose hand. “I did what any decent person would do, not unlike yourself, I’m sure.”

Eric brought them to a waiting room, motioning for them to sit. “They’ll be here soon.”

The second he left, her head turned to Lucien, the question ready on her tongue. But he was already shaking his head. Just wait. Was all his eyes told her.

Crossing her arms, she leaned back in the creaking chair with a huff.

Tick-tack. Her eyes lifted to the brown framed clock mounted to the wall, solemnly ticking the seconds away with its spindly black arms.

Wait, is that?

A young voice rang out through the hallway, bright and clear… Ethan’s.

She shot up from her chair the moment he rounded the corner. There he was, the young boy whose father Lucien had finished off.

His footsteps hopped against the linoleum floor as he skipped over to her. Kate slid down to her haunches, blinking furiously to make sure that he was real.

She wasn’t dreaming. The smile on his face widened ever more, showing the toothy grin before Ethan squished her into a hug.

Kate nearly tumbled over from the force of the bubbly boy. She laughed while bracing a hand on the floor, keeping herself from toppling over. “What are you doing here?!”

Ethan leaned in to whisper in her ear. “They told me I am seeing my nana and grandpa today. And, and…” The boy was falling over his words now. “You! I don’t know what’s happening!”

Was this the good deed Eric had mentioned? Was Lucien the reason he was being reunited with his grandparents?

Kate glanced at Lucien, whose eyes remained glued to the boy still holding onto her. Coughing, he cleared his voice before admitting. “We need to be able to pull up on the silver linings. And when they’re not around… we need to create them ourselves.”

Before she could respond, Ethan pulled out of the embrace. He asked with a tiny frown wrinkling up his young face. “Do you think this is the… light at the end of the tunnel, the one you told me about?”

“Yes.” A smile broke through on her face. “I think this is the one… I’m so happy for you, Ethan.”

“Ethan!” Eric’s shout cut through the waiting room. “They are nearly here.”

“This is for you.” The boy pressed a small blue truck into her hand. She stared at it, the white lettering blurring before she hastily blinked her eyes.

The young boy skipped off to the opening doors at the other end, dashing straight into the arms of his grandparents.

Lucien appeared beside her, staring at the truck she held in her grip. “Now you’ve got a good memory. They won’t erase the bad ones, but,” he shrugged.

“How?” It was the only thing she could utter, with the emotions still holding her throat hostage.

“Connections.”

She shook her head in disbelief. “The risk is—”

“Worth it.” He shoved a hand in his pockets. But she’d seen it, the slight tremble.

Maybe, just maybe, today didn’t need to be the day for her to face it alone. Kate stepped closer to slip her fingers in between his. He answered it with a squeeze, eyes lifting to hers. “Just… enjoy the view.”

She forced her eyes forward to see the room had changed from tense silence to relief. Ethan’s grandmother had wrapped her arms around him as if she hadn’t seen him in years. And grandpa, she could see him wipe away a stray tear before the widest smile she’d ever seen lit up his face.

It’s what she told Lucien hadn’t been ‘right’, yet it was the most beautiful thing she’d witnessed in years.

***

Lucien’s footsteps slowed when they reached the playground. Kate strode ahead, grabbing a hold over the still squeaking red swing. She brushed the snow off before sliding her weight down into the small faded seat, pushing off with her legs to get herself airborne.