Jake was still obsequious, his father even more distant than he used to be. Before the accident it seemed that they looked up to Daniel and his successful career, his busy life in New York. Hilary especially, but since the accident, even she’d been overcompensating. She’d become aggressively chummy and sarcastic. His family had come to seem fragile to him, and more separate. It used to be more of a world that included him. Brenda pulled the car into the landing just as the ferry left its slip. “Dammit,” she said, but Daniel found himself almost relieved; more time would pass before they all gathered, before his mother would reach for his hand, careful not to touch the chair, before Jake would sprint ahead to hold every door for him. Brenda helped him out of the car and then stood beside him for a moment. She bent forward and closed her eyes, saying she felt light-headed. “You all right?” he asked, but she didn’t respond. The feeling apparently passed, and soon she headed off to find a drink.
