Suddenly, he sat down on the stairs and buried his face in his hands.
Then she started to cry.
—My God… Then it’s already too late.
He was about to call the police when he pulled an old photograph out of his pocket.
It featured a young woman holding a small child.
—Do you recognize this woman?
I looked closely.
And I felt like my heart was about to stop.
She was my best friend, Sarah.
He had died more than thirty years ago.
—Where did you get this photograph?
Tears streamed down Daniel’s face.
—Because that child is me.
I slowly lowered myself down the stairs.
Daniel continued:
“When my mother died, I was adopted. Only many years later did I discover that you were the woman who had cared for me for months while my mother was in the hospital. You were never a stranger to me, Margaret.”
I remembered that boy.
He was only a few years old.
She had fed him, told him stories before bed, and rocked him to sleep.
But after Sarah’s death, her relatives took the child to another city and we lost contact.
“Are you that boy?” I whispered.
Daniel nodded.
—I recognized you during our second meeting. But I didn’t tell you because I was afraid you’d think our relationship was solely due to an old debt of gratitude. I genuinely fell in love with you.
Then he opened his phone and showed me several medical documents.
—Six months ago I discovered
The old plumbing system in our mansion was deteriorated and could be contaminating the water. You were already experiencing weakness and dizziness, so I requested that tests be performed.
—And what were you putting in my drink?
—A nutritional supplement that a specialist recommended. But now I understand that I should never have given it to you without telling you. You had every right to know.
It turned out that the supplement could also interact with one of my regular medications and worsen my drowsiness.
Daniel had already arranged for additional medical tests and repairs to the house’s water
