Page 81 of Falcon’s Forever

“Because she wanted to,” Sarah says firmly.

Because somebody has to carry it. The thought's so automatic it frightens me, because that's exactly what I keep telling Falcon he does. If something goes wrong he searches for the place he could've changed it, the turn he could've taken, the door he should've been standing beside.

I hate how easily I understand it. That doesn't make it healthy.

"The plan did keep people safer," Frankie says. "It didn't make the house bulletproof."

"It should have." I know that’s a stupid thought.

"No." Frankie is firm enough that I finally look at her. "This is exactly what you've been telling Falcon."

That hurts.

"You cannot remove every risk from someone's life," she says. "You can give them information, choices, support, and better plans. You cannot control where a bullet lands."

"I know."

She raises an eyebrow, and I almost laugh at the absurdity of catching myself using the phrase yet again.

Frankie notices the exact moment my expression goes blank.

“You’re doing that thing again,” she says.

I glance at her. “You’ll have to be more specific.”

“The thing where your face empties because whatever you’re thinking is horrible, and you don’t want us to know,” Frankie explains.

Sarah lifts her head from my shoulder. “She does do that.”

“Wonderful,” I mutter. “I’ve developed an entire team of observers.”

“You created us,” Sarah points out.

I narrow my eyes at her. “That sounds threatening.”

“It wasn’t supposed to be,” she says quietly.

Frankie shifts in her chair to face me properly. “What are you blaming yourself for?”

“Nothing,” I answer too quickly.

Both women stare at me.

“Fine,” I surrender. “Emily.”

Frankie’s forehead creases. “What about her?”

“If we’d moved everyone into the office instead of using the zones, Emily wouldn’t have been near that wall,” I explain.

“We designed the plan together,” Frankie reminds me.

“I told everyone they could choose where they felt safest,” I say.

“Yes,” Frankie confirms.

“And Emily chose the living room,” I continue.

“Because she wanted to,” Sarah says firmly.