Page 48 of Never Forget
Getting Megan involved had been easy. Danny had been harder to convince. He didn't want to make waves. But Megan was involved, which meant he didn't have a choice and Danny knew better than to fight it.
We spread my research across their kitchen table and compared Havensworth's practices to national standards. The gaps were damning. We talked about what reform might look like and how to get the fire department to listen.
By the time we wrapped up, I understood something I hadn't fully grasped before. This wasn't a few days of work. This was weeks. Maybe months.
My mind went to Mark, who was waiting for me in New York. He was patient, but not infinitely so.
"So we're all set?" Megan's voice pulled me back to the kitchen table. "You'll make your edits and then we show the draft to Captain Sutton?"
"That's the plan." I started gathering the papers I'd spread across the table and shoved them back into my bag.
Megan looked at Danny, who seemed like he wanted to be anywhere else. She nudged him with her elbow.
"Yeah." He cleared his throat. "Sounds good."
"Thank you both for doing this," I said. "I know it's a lot to ask."
"It's not a lot," Megan said firmly. "It's necessary."
Danny didn't argue with that. He just nodded once and started clearing the coffee cups from the table.
"I need to pick up Rosie from school," I said, slinging my bag over my shoulder. "So I should head out."
"Of course." Megan walked us to the door. "Let us know if you need help with anything else."
"I will. Thanks, Megan." I hugged her, and she held on a beat longer than usual.
Sam insisted on driving me to Rosie's preschool.
"Where's Loretta today?" he asked as we turned onto Meeting Street.
"She's been busy getting ready for her trip. Her daughter is due in a few weeks, so she wants to be there when the baby comes." I watched the storefronts slide past the window. "She's been stepping back lately. I think she's trying to prepare me to do this on my own."
Sam nodded. "How's the rest of it going? The guardianship stuff, the probate?"
"Slowly. There's a lot of paperwork. The lawyer says everything should be finalized in the next few weeks, but every time I think I'm done signing things, another stack appears."
"Can I help with anything?"
I glanced at him. "You're already helping. With the reform stuff."
"I mean with Rosie." He kept his eyes on the road. "I promised Jack I'd look out for her. For both of you."
Something about the way he said it, so formal and earnest, made me laugh.
Sam shot me a look. "What?"
"Nothing. It's just very, you." I shook my head, still smiling. "Making a solemn vow to a dying man and then following through like a knight in a fairy tale."
"I'm serious, Jamie."
"I know you are." The smile faded, but the warmth stayed. "Thank you, Sam. I mean it."
He nodded once, and we drove the rest of the way in comfortable silence.
Sam pulled into the parking lot at Rosie's preschool and cut the engine.
"I can wait here," he said.
