The Way to Yesterday Read Free Page A

God! Did she
actually think he would strike her?
    Hope's wails increased. Suddenly, he snapped.
    "Damn it all to hell, Mary Faith. That does it! I am taking you to the
emergency room. We'll drop Hope off at Mom's on the way. No need exposing her
to God knows what. And when we get home, we're going to talk. I don't know
what's wrong with us… but I am sick and tired of being shut out of your life.
Do you hear me?"
    "No!" Mary cried, and clutched his arm. "Please don't take
Hope to your mother's house. I don't need to go to the emergency room. It'll be
fine. See…it's almost stopped bleeding."
    Daniel ignored her and kept walking toward the living room to get their
baby.
    Mary followed, still begging him to stay, but her pleas fell on deaf ears. She
watched in horror as Daniel got a fresh bottle from the fridge, packed the
diaper bag and then picked up their crying baby. Almost instantly, Hope's
crying stopped, but now Mary was in tears.
    "I won't go!" she cried. "You can't make me." Daniel
turned, staring at her as if she were a stranger. "Fine," he said.
"Stay here. But I'm still taking Hope to Mom's and when I get back, we're
going to talk."
    He strode out of the house, put Hope in the baby seat in the back of their
car and strapped her in, ignoring the fact that Mary had followed him out into
the yard, still begging him to stay.
    The moment he laid Hope down, she began to cry again. But Daniel couldn't
let himself focus on her tears. Her diaper was dry and she wasn't in pain. She
just liked to be rocked to sleep and he'd laid her down a bit too soon.
    "Hush, baby girl," he said softly. "You're okay. You're okay.
Grandma Phyllis will rock you back to sleep when we get to her house."
    He closed the back door and then turned to get in when Mary grabbed at his
arm.
    "Daniel… please! Don't! You don't know what you're doing to me."
    He frowned. "To you? Damn it, Mary Faith! Don't you know what you've
done to me? To us?" Panic began to rise.
    Mary stepped back, watching in horror as Daniel got into the car and closed
the door.
    Her heart began to race-her stomach turned. She didn't want to be here
again. She knew what was going to happen. She'd seen it every night in her
sleep for the past six years.
    Oh God… wake me up before the crash. Please… I don't have the strength to
see it again.
    Daniel started the car. Mary stood, frozen to the spot, listening to the
sound of her daughter's shrieks. Daniel put the car in gear and began backing
down the drive. Mary could already hear the sound of an approaching siren, but
Daniel couldn't hear for the baby's cries.
    Oh God… oh God.
    The brown sports car suddenly appeared, careening around the corner and
fishtailing as the driver tried to maintain control.
    Oh God… oh God.
    The police car came seconds later, sirens at full blast-lights flashing.
    And Daniel is looking at me, not behind him.
    Suddenly, Mary bolted, screaming as she ran, and threw herself on the hood
of the car. Daniel hit the brakes and then put the car in Park just as Mary
slid off the hood.
    His heart was in his mouth as he bolted from the car. Dear God…if Mary had
fallen beneath the wheels he would never forgive
    Suddenly, he became aware of the sirens and spun in shock, just in time to
see the sports car spin out of control. A heartbeat later, the police car broad
sided it and the cars exploded in a ball of flame.
    Without thinking, he slammed the car door to keep flying debris from hitting
Hope and threw himself over Mary's prone body.
    Mary was in shock. The dream! It wasn't the same! It wasn't the same.
Overwhelmed with relief, she started to cry. Thank God. Thank God. Maybe this
meant she was starting to heal. Even if it was just a dream, she'd given
herself a happy ending.
    "Mary, darling… are you all right?"
    Daniel's weight on her back felt wonderful, as did the sound of his voice in
her ears.
    "Yes, Daniel, I am now."
    He pulled her to her feet and then held her tight, pressing her face against
his