Page 15 of Ten Years Later
“I’m fourteen. I’ll be fine.”
“Or you can go with me?”
“I’m fourteen. I’ll be fine.”
Mia idly watched her daughter eat. Yes, the older she got, the more finesse she required. Mia only had a few days to make a very important decision that would affect the rest of their lives.
9 /CURRENT DAY
“Vivian!”
“Vivian!”
“Vivian!”
Keaton jolted up in bed.Sweat slicked his skin and coated the sheets. He slid from the covers and left his room. Down the hall, Vivian’s door remained closed.
In the kitchen the time on the microwave read 5:02 a.m. He prepped coffee.
While he waited for it to brew, he checked his phone, seeing a text from his mother:
Cora’s invited us all to her house for dinner. You need to come. It’s the right thing to do.
He went to the funeral. Exactly how much did they expect him to grieve Cora’s mother?
The coffee perked. On his phone, he typed in, “Mia Ferguson, Ponte Vedra, Florida.”
A Facebook link popped up. He hadn’t been on Facebook in years. He typed in his email, guessed at the password, and miraculously got in.
Set to public, her profile showed mostly homes. On the Info tab he learned she worked for a realty company. He cruised through her many photo albums, finding no pictures of Emily.
Next, he typed in Emily’s name and got nothing back.
He poured coffee, put a breakfast sandwich in the microwave, took a shower, and went to spy on Emily.
10 /TWELVE YEARS AGO
Dana couldn’t believetwo years had already gone by. On a rainy afternoon she put Emily down for a nap and as she made coffee, she spontaneously thought of Mia Ferguson. Perhaps it was because Dana would be at Disney in Florida this upcoming weekend—an unexpected trip she’d won in a raffle at work.
On a whim, Dana texted Mia.
Dana: This is Dana. Long time no chat.
Mia: Hi, Dana! How are you?
Dana: So very good. I’m bringing Emily (my daughter) to Disney this weekend.
Mia: What is she now, two, three?
Dana: Two, and she’s perfect.
Mia: Aw…
Dana: You still live in Ponte Vedra?
Mia: I do.
Dana: How about I rent a car and drive north to see you?
