Chapter 8 - MAYA
Claire wanted to know about Maya Reed.
Not out of jealousy.
Because Maya had lost Emma too.
Was she alive?
Yes.
Living in Oregon.
Daniel had not spoken to her in seven years.
Why?
Their grief turned hostile.
After Emma died, Daniel blamed himself.
Maya blamed him too.
Then later regretted parts of what she said.
The accident happened after Daniel missed a pickup.
Emma was supposed to stay with him that weekend.
A work emergency kept him late.
Maya asked her brother to drive Emma instead.
Their car was struck by another vehicle during heavy rain.
Emma died.
Daniel transformed:
I missed pickup
into:
I caused her death.
Legally false.
Emotionally powerful.
Then Claire contacted Maya through an attorney.
Maya agreed to speak.
Her first question:
“Did he build another room?”
Claire froze.
“How do you know?”
Maya sighed.
After Emma died, Daniel preserved her bedroom for almost a year.
No one could move anything.
Maya eventually wanted to pack it.
Daniel resisted.
Then one day she came home and found he had duplicated parts of the room in a storage unit.
Photographs.
Toys.
Bedding.
Not a complete replica.
The beginning.
Maya told him it was unhealthy.
Daniel accused her of erasing Emma.
That argument ended their remaining friendship.
Then Maya said:
“He promised me he stopped.”
Claire closed her eyes.
The apartment was not a new response.
It was a revived one.
Then Maya asked:
“Does your daughter look like Emma?”
Claire said:
“No.”
“Same age?”
“Lily is nine.”
Silence.
Maya understood.
Then she said something Claire had not considered.
“Please don’t let him make your daughter responsible for helping him grieve mine.”
That line hurt.
Then Claire asked:
“Did he love Emma?”
Maya almost laughed.
“Completely.”
“And Lily?”
“I don’t know Lily.”
Claire corrected herself.
“Could loving Emma this much mean he loves Lily less?”
Maya answered:
“No.”
May you like
Then:
“But grief can make people treat love like a museum.”
