Page 105 of My Rose

Chapter 38

Rose

“…and perhaps it will be pleasing to have remembered these things one day.” ? Virgil

Loud chimes sounded all around me. I packed away the few crayons I’d stashed in my pocket and kicked the door softly, making sure it wouldn’t slam against the wall as I left the grandfather clock.

It was dinner time—the airsmelled of sweet rolls and soup, and my stomach gurgled as I walked down the hall toward the dining room. The sounds of my mother speaking made me halt. I wasn’t supposed to interfere with her on days she worked from home, and today was no exception.

But the sight of another woman as I crept my way across the floor forced my back to the wall.

“You’re sure about this?” my mother whispered. I peeked around the corner long enough to see the woman with blonde curls and long lashes, a dip on her cheek that shone in the sun through the window. When she nodded, the sun moved along her face, leaving half cloaked in shadows. I pulled my head back, hiding behind the hallway wall. “I don’t want you to get hurt. This all has to be kept secret until the trial.”

The woman’s voice cracked. “I know. I’m aware of the risks—”

“The boys—do they know?”

The woman was quick to answer, “No. God, no. I don’t want them involved.”

“They could be good key witnesses, Vi,” my mother suggested softly.

“I said no.” The woman’s voice raised, but not in a way that made me think she was angry at my mom. She sounded like what my mom sounded like when I did something that made her scared—like crossing the street or when she found out I climbed trees with a boy in my class and had almost fallen. I peeked again, squinting my eyes to look at her. She kind of looked like him.

“There are protections we can put into place. They can be safe.”

The lady named Vi shook her head. “He will findthem. And when he does”—she made a fist on her lap—“when he does, it won’t be good. Besides, Beckett won’t stand to be separated from his father. He’d grow and find him, and this would all be for nothing.”

My mother’s brow arched. “You wouldn’t consider asking Briggs—”

“Absolutely not. They may be completely opposite, but they share everything.” She hesitated, glancing out the window as she continued, “It will only be me. Their father won’t hurt them. He’s a terrible person, but he’d never…he…oh God, what am I doing, Margot?” Her voice broke as tears fell down her cheeks. “What if he hurts them?”

My mother’s eyes darted to me, and I turned and ran to the kitchen. A few minutes later, the woman hugged my mother before leaving, and then my mom came to sit at the dining room table. Her cheeks were red, her eyes puffy. I wanted to ask her what was wrong, but I knew she’d caught me snooping, and I didn’t want to get in trouble. She was a good mom but much more stern than my dad.

Her eyes slid to me, and a soft smile replaced the anger and sadness I thought I saw.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Steady sounds filled the kitchen, and a tightness formed in my chest. It felt like someone was squeezing me.

Beep. Beep.

I looked around, confused. The kitchen began to fade, along with my dad, who was standing by the stove, and my mom, who was sitting at the dining room table across from me. My side began to burn—the grandfather clock now inches from me. One moment, I was sitting, the next, I was crawling along the floor.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

“Run, Rose!”Loud bangs and screams pierced my ears as my body fought to make its way to safety. My mind froze, and my side burned more. Flames roared in front of me, but still, I crawled through. Everything hurt—my chest, my head, my nose as I breathed through the heavy smoke.

My skin felt like it was being ripped apart.

Beep. Beep.

That sound…it hadn’t ever been in here before. I reached for the clock and struggled to get inside enough to close the door. It was hot in the space but calmed my mind as I rocked back and forth, covering my ears and humming to myself as the temperature climbed.

Beep.

I reached for my side, expecting the pain to be there, my sharp breaths and pounding heart clawing their way through my tense body. All of that pain was replaced by another as I took in the room and the man beside me.

“He was just awake for a minute there.”

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