In the weeks and months afterward, Maggie studied Samara’s video, replaying it countless times at night, hating her as the woman who had destroyed her family. But as Maggie continued analyzing the in-depth news profiles that dissected Samara’s life and re-created the horrors leading up to the attack, Maggie’s regard for her changed.
Again and again, Maggie’s thoughts went back to the instant at the school when her eyes had met Samara’s in one intense gaze. Maggie’s loathing evolved into ac ceptance that she and Samara were never enemies. They were women from different worlds. They were mothers united by tragedies beyond their control.
And, late at night, when sleep would not come, Maggie found herself reconciling it all with a question that-although she would never know-was identical to the question Samara had asked when she came upon a child’s foot on the street in Baghdad.
It was an ancient question no one could answer.
What are we doing to each other?
And in the time that followed, Graham would call Maggie and Logan to see how they were getting along.
Six Seconds 469
Some six months later, he’d returned to California to take part in a symposium on security.
Maggie invited him to visit.
They went to the beach, where Logan flew a kite Graham had bought for him.
Maggie and Graham watched as it soared and held steady against the wind.