She didn’t stop crying until they reached the next stop.
“Can we talk now?” asked Sadie.
“No, I have a sore throat,” Dani reminded her.
“You’re not getting sick?” Sadie felt Dani’s forehead. “You’re on fire! Dad will have to put you to bed when you get home.”
“I’m not going home,” Dani hiccupped.
“Yes, you are,” said Sadie.
“I’m going to Grandma and Grandpa’s! Dad’s in Rome.”
“In Rome? You’re joking!”
“No, I’m not. He went this morning.”
“And so he dumped you with Grandma and Grandpa?”
“He didn’t dump me. Grandma came to get me in the car. I think he’s sad…”
“I’m sad too!” Sadie cried. “Has he not said anything? Has he not told you that we’ve broken our engagement?”
Dani looked at Sadie, distraught.
“Were you engaged?”
“Yes, we were. Secretly.”
“Were you planning to get married?”
“Yes. Would you have let us, little love?”
Dani hated being called little love and it wasn’t the first time Sadie had done it.
She gave Sadie her irritated look.
“I’m sorry!” said Sadie. “I don’t want to hurt you, but you haven’t been exactly pleased about me…”
There were tears in Sadie’s eyes.
She must have not wanted Dani to see because she took the hat from her knees and put it over Dani’s head, so it covered the tip of her nose.
Dani swallowed and swallowed and tried to understand, then the hat was lifted again.
Then she leaned on Sadie’s shoulder.
And Sadie put an arm around her.
They sat like that all the way to Stockholm.
