"Did you ever try to find that girl?"
Daniel was silent for several seconds.
"At first."
"What happened?"
"Nobody knew where she'd gone."
He rubbed one hand along his jaw.
"Her father lost his business. Apparently the family moved in a hurry. I asked around, but I was just a kid."
Nora lowered her eyes.
"I see."
"After a while, I figured she didn't want to be found."
The words struck her like a physical blow.
She closed her eyes.
Daniel noticed.
"Sorry. Didn't mean to make this depressing."
Nora shook her head.
"No. You haven't."
He looked toward her.
Something in her expression troubled him.
"Did you know somebody who left like that?"
She took a slow breath.
"Yes."
"Someone important?"
Nora's voice became very quiet.
"The most important person in my childhood."
Daniel looked at her for a long moment.
Then he nodded.
"That's hard."
She gave a small, painful smile.
"It was."
He did not ask for more.
That was one of the things she remembered about him.
Even as a boy, Daniel had known when silence was kinder than another question.
Now, forty-six years later, he still seemed to understand.
For a moment, Nora nearly told him.
She turned toward him.
"Daniel, there's something—"
His phone rang.
The ordinary sound shattered the fragile moment.
Daniel glanced down.
"Sorry. That's Lucy."
He answered.
"Hey, sweetheart."
Nora watched his expression change as his daughter spoke.
"What happened?"
He listened.
Then laughed.
"Lucy, you cannot glue an entire camera tripod back together and expect it to hold your equipment."
Another pause.
"No, I'm not angry."
He smiled.
"All right. I'll come get you."
He ended the call and looked apologetically toward Nora.
"Science project emergency."
She managed a smile.
"Serious?"
"Apparently catastrophic."
He stood carefully, his knees complaining.
Nora rose beside him.
For one suspended moment, he looked at her with a softness that made her heart ache.
"I'm glad I found you here."
She swallowed.
"Are you?"
He nodded.
"I think you needed company."
Tears returned to her eyes.
Daniel hesitated.
Then offered his hand.
"Walk back with me?"
She looked at it.
The same hand that had given her the little brass ring.
Older now.
Scarred by decades of work.
But still offered without demanding anything.
She placed her fingers inside his.
"Yes."
They walked slowly along the path.
Neither spoke much.
At the turnout, Daniel stopped beside his truck.
Nora stood beside the borrowed motorcycle.