Page 61 of The Gathered Fragments of Us
"What? Are you okay? Is Caden okay?"
"We're fine, but..." I took a shaky breath. "Macy's missing. Her mother took her and disappeared."
"Wait. What? Like took her how?"
"There are a few things happening and—Jesus, Maliyah, I don't even know how to start."
"Okay. Let’s just take a minute. How long has she been gone?"
"We don't know exactly. Maybe since this morning? We discovered that Jessica has been stealing from Caden’s company for years. We're not talking a few dollars here, May. I mean like a hefty sum."
"Holy shit."
"Exactly. And when we tried to see Macy today, Jessica wouldn't let us talk to her. Then she sent this text from Macy's phone saying they were going away. We don't know if she knows we found out what she's been doing, but why else would she take off?"
There was a moment of silence. When Maliyah spoke again, her voice had shifted into what I called her "professional mode." Maliyah runs a women's shelter down in Orlando and she is an awesome problem solver.
"Tell me about Jessica. What's her behavior been like recently?"
I leaned against the wall, grateful for my sister's steady presence even through the phone. "Increasingly hostile toward me. She's always been...difficult—well, you know—kind of an asshole. But lately it's been different. More intense. She picked up Macy's phone when I called—and hung up on me. Twice. I'd asked to speak to Macy. Caden tried calling her right after. She told himMacy didn't want to see me, which makes no sense. Like a day before—she'd been planning a surprise for me. No way she just flipped a switch when I hadn't even seen her since."
"Control and isolation," Maliyah said immediately. "She's trying to control the narrative and isolate Macy. It's textbook manipulation."
"But why now? Why take this risk?"
"Sounds like maybe she knows she's cornered. Felicity, if she's been stealing for years—and now she realizes something's off, she doesn't even need to know you know everything. In her circumstance, it could just be paranoia. And that paranoia may lead her to make desperate choices. Taking Macy makes her feel in control."
"May, do you really think it could be that bad?"
"I don't know. But in my world, I've grown accustomed to expecting and planning for the worst but hoping for at least better—not best."
"I'm scared. What if she hurts Macy? I feel like neither Caden, nor I really know her. Neither of us would haveeverguessed she was stealing. She has a job—mortgage broker, you know. And her husband makes good money too. I can't understand where it all went."
"Hey," Maliyah's voice softened. "Listen to me. I've worked with hundreds of families in situations like this. The money and all that—you'll figure it out. Once you get Macy back, she will be okay. Children are more resilient and perceptive than we give them credit for. We don't know what Jessica has told her. For all we know, Macy thinks they are going on a vacation. No matter what though, Jessica can't erase the relationship Macy has with you guys overnight."
"But what if—"
"Felicity." Her voice was firm now. "You have to focus and make sure you don't spiral. I can hear it starting. You can't go down the rabbit hole of worst-case scenarios—it will make you crazy and won't help anyone right now."
She was right. I was already starting to catastrophize, my mind racing through every terrible possibility.
"What should I do?" I asked quietly. "How do I help Caden through this? How do I help Macy when we find her?"
"First, you focus on what is within your control. Support Caden, cooperate with the police, and trust that they'll find her. Second, when Macy comes home, you create the safest, most stable environment possible for her to process whatever she's been through."
"Jesus." I dropped my head against the wall, feeling so overwhelmed by everything. "You know, Caden and I were going through something before all this happened. We'd reached a certain peace, but there is still a lot for us to work through. Add that onto the trauma Macy may be experiencing. It's a lot May. It's a lot."
"It sounds like it. But you know, you don’t know what you don’t know. Macy may not even be experiencing trauma. Her mom may be acting completely normal with her. She may be completely fine when she gets back. Or maybe she's going to be confused and hurt and angry. Every child responds differently. But Felicity, you and Caden—just remember what it feels like to choose each other, to choose your family. That's exactly what Macy's going to need."
I touched the locket at my throat, feeling its weight. The photo inside—the three of us at Christmas, all genuinely happy—felt like a talisman now.
"Yeah. You're right. And I know I shouldn't borrow trouble."
"One day at a time Felicity."
"I know. So—you said you and Caden were going through something? You don't have to tell me anything, and I know it's shit timing, but know if you need a shoulder, I'm here. And as your sister, I'd like to say—I'll cut any bitch who fucks with you. "I mean, unless someone's listening, then of course any violence threatened is just story telling on my part and not an actual threat...right now." I laughed. She laughed. I needed that moment—where all this turmoil wasn't swirling around me.
"Maliyah, I love you so much."
