Page 4 of Shining Pearls
Staring at my perfect daughter, I almost couldn’t believe I was really back. Her hair had been weaved into tight braids, her two front teeth had been replaced by bigger versions, and she looked so much more grown up. It was obvious that her father had taken excellent care of her while I was gone.
Gingerly sitting on the side of the bed across from Alex, I said through a blur of unshed tears, “I’m home, Hannah-Banana.”
Disbelief clouded her bright blue gaze as she stared up at me. “Mommy? Am I dreaming?”
I chuckled as I brushed the back of my finger along her soft, freckled cheek. “No, sweetie. You’re not dreaming. I feel like I am though. I missed you so much.”
“I missed you too, Mommy!” My daughter launched herself into my arms, and suddenly all was right with my world again.
The soft scent of strawberry shampoo and a mysterious and marvelous ‘little girl’ smell that I’ll chalk up to being fairy dust wafted up from her damp braids as we hugged. A sob caught in my throat as I clutched the very center of my existence.
As I held my daughter, all of the fear and stress of the past year fell away. I was back where I belonged, with the people who mattered to me.
I kept my arms tight around Hannah, but I lifted my head to look at Alex. A stray tear was blazing a trail down his cheek as he watched my emotional reunion with our daughter. We locked eyes over Hannah’s head, and I suddenly knew that he was still my charming, handsome, and devoted Alex––the love of my life.
It wasn’t until Hannah pulled back and spoke that the magical spell woven around us was broken. I felt my spine stiffen and heard Alex’s quick intake of breath, when Hannah gazed up at me with excited, giant blue eyes and asked, “Mommy, have you met Aunt Jo yet?”
4
Josie
Sun was streaming in cheerfully through the window, mocking me. I was tempted to get up and pull the blinds closed, but I didn’t have the energy to walk across the room.
Aunt Mimi had been in earlier to deliver a mug of hot tea and try to rouse me out of bed, but I had snapped at her and pulled the covers higher over my head until she went away. When she had revealed the name of Claire’s captor, I’d had questions, but couldn’t drum up the enthusiasm to ask them. I recognized the man’s name and knew that I had seen him around town, usually with a hoodie pulled up over his head to help hide the scars on his face.
“He’s still at large, but he’s injured.” Mimi had told me from the hallway on her way out of my room. I’m sure she was trying to intrigue me into getting up to get the full scoop on Claire’s abduction, but I just couldn’t.
Even if Kevin Durley dragged himself in here, I’d roll over and go back to sleep. This must be what it felt like to be on the cusp of depression. Claire had just gotten her life back after a full year of what had to have been hell, and her freedom had lost me the two most important people in my life.
I hated myself for being so devastated about her return, but I couldn’t seem to help it. Having Claire walk through the front door of her home had stolen my chance of happiness.
A grapefruit-sized ball of molten lava had lodged itself in my throat during the night. I needed water to quell the burning, but even that wasn’t enough of an incentive for me to get out of bed. At least the searing pain let me know I was still alive. The rest of me was numb and lifeless.
My bed eased down on one side as someone sat down. I doubted Aunt Mimi had returned because it had to be well past the time for the diner to open. It crossed my mind that it might be Kevin Durley here to murder me. Deciding that would bring me relief from my burning throat, I remained still and waited for him to strike.
When Kevin didn’t attack, I closed my eyes, hoping whoever was sitting on the edge of the bed would take the hint and leave me alone. I didn’t feel the person leave, but I didn’t care. I needed the oblivion of sleep.
A warm, comforting hand began lightly rubbing my back. My stupid heart instantly leaped in my chest with hope that it might be Alex––here to proclaim his undying love for me. I whirled my head around and wasn’t able to successfully keep the disappointment out of my expression when I saw my friend and neighbor, Dean.
“Hoping for someone else?” He called me out on my lack of manners, but he seemed more hurt than angry.
I shook my head once, but didn’t speak, since I knew my voice wouldn’t be convincing. I didn’t have it in me to try to make him feel better when I felt so dreadful.
“You know that it’s a good thing that Claire is back, right? She’s the one who was ripped away from her family and put through heaven-only-knows-what for the past year.”
His words made logical sense, but that didn’t stop the flash of fury from spiking over the fact that he was taking Claire’s side. The blood pounded loudly in my head as he spoke. Dean wasmyfriend, and he was supposed to have my back in any situation––not Claire’s.
“Thanks for your unwavering support.” I let the sarcasm drip from my voice.
Although Dean was one of the most patient men I had ever met, I could hear the first edges of exasperation in his tone when he stopped rubbing my back and said, “Of course I support you, and I always will. I just can’t believe you were so…”
When his voice trailed off without finishing his sentence, I snapped, “So what? Stupid? Selfish?”
“Well, yeah,” Dean admitted quietly, before defending the accusations. “And I think deep down you know that being with Alex was both stupid and selfish, or those wouldn’t have been your first guesses of what I was going to say.”
The fact that he was right made his words even more infuriating. Through gritted teeth, I said, “We didn’t know Claire was coming back.”
“True, but you also couldn’t assume that she wasn’t ever coming home.” Ever-logical Dean reminded me.
