Page 79 of I'm Yours

“Why didn’t you call me last night when she never came home?”

“Mom of the year award goes to…” She points to herself. “I didn’t even know she was gone until I went to her room this morning to let her know I was leaving for pole. Freaked me the hell out, that’s for sure. Thank goodness, I have that tracker on her phone so I could locate her.” She scoffs and gives me a little side grin. “You’d think if they were going to be stupid enough to sneak out, they’d at least leave their phones behind. But nope. They won’t go anywhere without them, they’re practically glued to their hand.”

“What about Terrance’s parents? Didn’t they know?”

“His dad works the night shift at a factory two towns over. Like me, his mom was sound asleep. When his dad came home from work at six, he figured he’d gone to work on a project at school early or something. We’re all a bunch of morons.” She shakes her head, clearly frustrated. I can’t imagine it’s an easy time to raise kids, let alone teenagers. They have access to so much more than we ever did growing up. “Anyway, I found her easy. Scared out of my mind, though. I threw Erica into the back seat and buckled her in, pajamas and all, because it’s not like I can leave her home alone. She was so freaked out, crying and asking what was wrong. I didn’t want to tell her that we were out searching for her sister. I was trying to stay calm, but I had no idea if I’d find her in the ditch or what.”

I don’t say anything, just get up and move over to her, sitting down next to her on the chair and wrapping my arms around her. The second I do, she breaks down into sobs. Her emotions had to be all over the place and now that she knows Audrey’s safe, she can relax a little. I have to swallow down my own tears. Hearing Audrey’s story brings back a lot of memories but more than that, I hate that my best friend is going through this. Raising a teenager alone has to be hard. My own mother had her struggles, but the addition of being a single mom probably made it that much harder.

“I was so scared,” Kandace cries and I squeeze her tighter. I wish I could take away her pain. Her fear. It breaks my heart for her. “God, what would I have done?” I don’t know if she’s actually asking God here or me so I just stay silent, rocking her and holding her as she lets out the fears of the morning.

When she’s cried out, she sits back and wipes under her nose. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Will you come with me to beat up Terrance?”

“Of course.”

We laugh, knowing that’s not going to happen but just joking about it makes her feel a little better.

“Gotta admit, I’m totally shocked Audrey had it in her.”

“I know, right? Me, too. She’s always such a goody-goody. It’s always the quiet ones that’ll get ya, huh?”

“So true.”

We talk for a while longer until my alarm on my phone goes off. I haven’t been over to see my mom in a while, which makes me feel guilty. Samuel’s been checking in on her and my mind has been caught up with Reed.

“Going to see Mama Nell?”

“Yup. I haven’t been over there in a while. She’s been doing so good, Samuel’s been over there, too, but I want to see her. Spend a little time.”

“Good. Tell her hi for me, okay?”

“I will and listen, next time, call me. I can scour the streets with you and stand by while you scare the living shit out of some boy.”

“Better not be a next time,” she grumbles as she walks out the door.

I change clothes, grab two frozen casseroles out of the freezer so I can bring them with me to Mom’s, and head over to see her.

The drive to Mom’s place only takes me fifteen minutes. I park next to her ten-year-old sedan and walk up the steps to her trailer. Both Samuel and I have offered to help her move into an apartment but she likes it here and refuses to move. As long as she’s happy, I don’t care.

I knock twice before walking inside. “Mom? It’s me!”

“Hi, Sadie!” she shouts from what sounds like her bedroom. “I’ll be right out!”

I take the casseroles to the kitchen and make room for them in her small freezer then discreetly look around the small space to make sure that she’s staying healthy. Fruits and vegetables are in the fridge. No alcohol, which is good because she can’t drink with her medication. A gallon of store-bought sweet tea that I curl my nose at. I’ve never understood how she could drink that stuff. A carton of milk, eggs, a tube of peanut butter cookie dough that looks to be about half gone. It’s her weakness. She’ll eat a tablespoon of it daily. She has some lunch meat and cheese as well as a rotisserie chicken. Good.

When she comes out of the bedroom, she’s smiling wider than normal and wearing only a satin robe. And her hair is a disaster.

I laugh. “Did I wake you?”

She blushes and looks behind her. “Sort of.”

“Huh?”

“Hi, Sadie,” a deep voice says and I look over Mom’s shoulder to see Henry Anderson walking up behind my mom, wrapping his arms around her and leaning in to smell her neck all while staring at me. Damn, he’s so freaking creepy. Beady eyes, always smirking, but not in the sexy way. It’s like he’s always trying to picture me naked. Slick hair like he uses way too much product. “Good to see you.”

---