His face collapses momentarily, and then he nods. ‘I swear to you. No more.’
Sammy appears in the doorway and waits for me to wave him in. I stand, extending a hand. He takes it, then pulls me into a hug, clapping me on the back before letting go. ‘You drive down?’
‘Yeah.’
Sammy looks over at my father. ‘Listen, I don’t know if this is the right time, or if there is such a thing, but I just found out who was driving the other car and thought you’d want to know.’
My stomach braces.
‘It was Maggie Phillips.’
Dad’s face contorts, and he starts to cry. It’s a lot seeing your broken father break a little more. I back away to the chair and fall into it.
Maggie. The woman who fitted me for school shoes every year, then every second term when they wouldn’t stop growing. Kind Maggie. Annie’s Maggie.
I drop my head into my hands and wonder how I’ll ever be able to look at my dad the same way again.