Page 43 of The Library on Plum Island
Yes.Alex answered for Daniella, and she let him because she was still finding it hard to comprehend it all.Your mother will have the guest room on the top floor next to mine to keep up appearances in case Doctor Jackson is having us surveilled.
Can I get the pretty peach room between Harriet’s and Dawn’s room?Emily surprised Daniella by asking.
You can have any room you want,Alex assured her with a laugh.
What about Hicks?Emily glanced at the dog sitting faithfully by her side, his tongue lolling out his mouth, looking bored with their conversation.
He’ll have the run of the house,Alex told her.
Cool. Emily grinned and then hugged Daniella. “I think this is an awesome idea.”
Emily straightened and then hugged Alex. “Thank you for helping my mom.”
Daniella heard Emily whisper; her whisper wasn’t as soft as her daughter thought it was. Alex’s eyes darkened with a tender emotion as he hugged Emily back.
“Of course,” Alex replied, his voice suspiciously croaky before he cleared his throat.
Daniella and Alex watched as Emily went to join the other teens, Shay and Reef, who were hovering near the doors as if they were trying to slowly disappear outside.
“Thank you, Alex,” Daniella said softly. “This was a really gallant thing to do.”
Alex took a seat in the armchair beside her. “I told you, I want to help.”
“This is more than helping,” Daniella pointed out. “You’re opening your home and life to us while a dangerous man is stalking me. While it will definitely put you in Doctor Jackson’s crosshairs, your family and friends could be potential targets too.”
“Look around you, Daniella.” Alex’s voice was low. “As soon as we told everyone in this room that you needed their support, none of them even hesitated to drop everything and get here.”
Daniella swallowed down the burning lump that had wedged in her throat. She followed Alex’s gaze and watched as Uncle Sam started to gather them all to take a seat. Harriet, Dawn, Carly, Ethan, Jennifer, and Harley. Her heart felt like it was going to burst with love for each one of them. Besides her cousins, Daniella’s only other friend was Jennifer until a year ago. Her circle of close, important friends had expanded to the people sitting in the room. Daniella frowned when she realized two people were missing. She looked at Alex.
“Where are Caroline and Brad?”
“They had to go to New York,” Alex told her. “Brad’s father had called a family meeting.”
“Oh!” Daniella nodded. “I hope everything’s okay.”
“I’m sure it is,” Alex said. “My parents would’ve been the first to call if something was wrong with the Danes family.”
“Your families are close?” Daniella looked at him curiously.
“Yeah!” Alex nodded. “My parents, Brad’s, Harriet’s, and Dawn’s parents’ friendship all goes back to their childhood, as with the generations before that.”
“Wow!” Daniella snorted. “That is a close circle.”
“Yes, we’re like a big extended family,” Alex explained. “I don’t think there was ever a Christmas, New Year, or birthday that our families didn’t celebrate together.”
“Is it still like that?” Daniella’s eyes widened.
She’d grown up with her cousins and uncle, thinking they had a large, close-knit family. Daniella couldn’t picture the scale of family get-togethers Alex was talking about. But then again, people like the Blackwells and their friends lived in a different world from Daniella’s family—or at least they used to. Her eyes scanned the room once again, and she realized that their worlds had slowly morphed and melded together. If this had happened a year ago, Daniella, Carly, Harley, and Uncle Sam would’ve been the only people attending this meeting.
“I’ve finally got them,” Ethan called triumphantly. “Hey, Mom and Dad,” he said to the monitor. “I’m putting you on Alex’s oversized television screen so you can see everyone in the room, and they can see you.”
“Hello, son,” Alex and Ethan’s parents called in unison.
“What is this big announcement Alex has?” their mother asked. “He hasn’t gotten someone in trouble, has he?”
“I hope not,” their father said as his parent’s faces were transferred to the giant screen.
“No, parents, I haven’t gotten anyone, including myself, into trouble,” Alex stated, giving them a wave at the camera Harley was adjusting so the Blackwells could see them. “Do you know where Bailey is?”
