Chapter 126
Daniel picks up his phone from the desk. He has agreed with Hanna that they will leave for Sadeln in fifteen minutes, but first he has to make a call.
To Ida.
Her waspish text message got right under his skin, but they can’t keep quarreling about Alice and her schedule.
Their daughter will soon be old enough to notice when they are mad at each other.
Plus Ida really has stepped up this week, in a way that he probably has no right to expect after their separation.
He can’t blame her for the fact that his work sometimes takes up all of his time and energy.
He clicks on her number, unsure whether he hopes she will pick up or not.
She does. On the second ring.
“Hello?”
Her tone is wary—of course she can see it’s him from the display.
“Hi.” Daniel takes a deep breath. He has prepared a little speech, and he needs to get it off his chest.
“I just wanted to thank you for being so understanding this week,” he begins quickly so that she can’t interrupt. “It means a lot to me. I know you don’t like it when the job takes over, but sometimes it’s hard to avoid. And this case was really intense.”
His words seem to take Ida by surprise; for a while all he can hear is her breathing.
“Hello?” he says when the silence goes on for too long.
“Sorry, I was just a bit . . . surprised.”
“I meant what I said. Thank you for stepping up. You’re a fantastic mom to our daughter. I’m so glad she has you when I . . . when things get crazy at work.”
They chat for a little while, and the tone is a lot more friendly than in Ida’s last message.
Someone in the background calls out to her. Daniel can’t make out the words, but Ida giggles and says, “Sure, darling.”
Gustav.
Daniel can’t help feeling a stab of pain in his chest. Ida sounds so happy.
In love.
He shouldn’t be resentful. It’s great that Ida is in a good place in her life—she deserves it. It’s better for Alice if her mom is happy and contented.
But it makes Daniel feel even more alone. He is a failure when it comes to love.
Ida has Gustav, and Hanna has Henry.
He should probably upload a profile on Tinder, like everyone else does these days, but to tell the truth he has no desire to start dating new women.
There is only one person he would want to be with.
And she is already taken.