Chapter 2
Clara stared at my phone as though it had become dangerous in my hand.
“You own that clinic?”
I ended the call before answering her. Naomi needed time to secure the records, and Lily needed her glasses.
“Where is the cash?” I asked.
Clara folded her arms.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“The refund.”
“I used my own card at the shoe store.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
My father came down the stairs with Lily behind him. He looked from the shoes to Clara’s face.
“What’s going on?”
“Clara canceled Lily’s glasses and collected the refund,” I said.
He turned to his wife.
“Tell me that isn’t true.”
Clara lifted her chin.
“The clinic was charging far too much. I was looking after the family’s money.”
“It was Daniel’s money,” my father said.
I hadn’t heard him use that sharp tone since I was a teenager. Clara seemed surprised too, but only for a moment.
“Daniel gives it away to strangers at that clinic. I thought he might appreciate someone being sensible at home.”
I went upstairs to Lily.
She was sitting on the edge of the guest bed with her workbook open. She closed it when I entered.
“I heard my name.”
I knelt in front of her.
“Clara made a choice she wasn’t allowed to make. It’s my job to put it right.”
“Was it because my glasses cost too much?”
“No, sweetheart. You never need to worry about that.”
She studied my face from close up.
“Are you mad at me?”
The question hurt more than Clara’s words.
“Never at you.”
I took Lily’s hand and walked her downstairs. Clara had moved the shoes into their boxes. My father stood by the front door with Lily’s coat.
“I’ll drive you,” he said.
“You can come,” I told him. “I want you to hear what happened.”
Clara followed us onto the porch.
“You’re making a scene over a delay.”
I turned back.
“Lily has been struggling to see for weeks. You knew that.”
Her mouth tightened. “I didn’t know the glasses were so important.”
“You heard her ask for them every morning.”
My father looked at Clara, waiting for her to answer. She went inside and shut the door.
At the clinic, Naomi met us near the optical desk. She had changed out of her work coat, but she wore the expression she used when a patient’s care needed urgent attention.
“The lenses are intact,” she told me. “We can complete the fitting tonight.”
Lily squeezed my fingers.
“Really?”
“Really,” Naomi said. “I saved the purple frames too.”
While the technician worked, Naomi took my father and me into a private office. I left Lily with Maya, who was helping her choose a case.
Naomi showed us the transaction record. Clara had not simply walked in and asked for money. She had presented a form naming her as an authorized family contact. The signature beside my name was false.
My father leaned closer.
“Where did she get that?”
“I’d like to know,” I said.
Naomi pointed to another line.
“The cash refund was approved using an employee override.”
“Who used it?”
“Maya’s login appears on the record. She says she never approved it. I’ve suspended that account while we find out.”
I trusted Maya. I also knew trust was a reason to investigate carefully, not to skip the investigation.
“Secure the original form,” I said. “Limit access to Lily’s records. Nobody outside this room discusses her care.”
Naomi nodded.
My father sat back.
“Clara was in my study this morning,” he said. “I saw her near the desk where I keep family papers. I thought she was looking for a pen.”
I had given him copies of Lily’s insurance card and contact information for emergencies. The authorization form might have been made from those documents.
“She told the receptionist she was Lily’s grandmother,” Naomi said. “A new staff member handled the request.”
“Then we need to fix the process,” I said. “Even if the person knows a child’s name, that cannot be enough.”
My father looked ashamed.
“I should have locked those papers away.”
“Clara chose to use them,” I told him.
A knock came at the door. Maya stood there with Lily, who had her new glasses on.
My daughter looked around the office. Her eyes widened.
“I can see the little bird on that clock.”
It was a painted bird no bigger than my thumbnail. I had forgotten it was there.
She looked at me and smiled so hard that her cheeks rose beneath the frames.
“There you are, Daddy.”
I held her close. For that minute, the rest of the day fell away.
Then Maya’s phone rang at the front desk. She answered, listened, and came back to the office.
“Mr. Walker, there’s a woman asking for you,” she said.
May you like
“Clara?”
“No. She says she worked here last year. She heard about the refund and says she knows how Clara got the override.”
