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“I know,” Albert said.
“Dying isn’t the worst of it. It’s dying without knowing.”
“Mother, we all feel the same way.” He paused, then, “What about that letter? Last December?”
Elizabeth did a feeble raspberry with her lips. “That nut who wrote a letter claiming to be her? Please. Police get stupid things like that all the time. Bogus psychics, someone saying they saw her beamed up into a spaceship.”
She closed her eyes briefly, pinching out a tear on each side. “Even to know, for sure, that she was gone, that’d be something, I suppose. If I believed in heaven, that might be some comfort. The idea that we’d be reunited.” Elizabeth shook her head. “But all there is, is this. When you’re done, you’re done.”
“I don’t know what to say,” Albert said. “We’d all give anything to know where Brie is. If she’s alive … or not.”
Elizabeth’s gaze had turned back briefly to the television. “Facts,” she said. “The world no longer has any interest in them.”
She looked back at Albert, smiled weakly, and patted his hand. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be difficult. I know you, and Izzy, you’re both trying to say and do the right thing. There is no right thing. I’m very proud of you. I’m proud of all three of my children. You and Izzy. And Brie. There’s never been a moment when I haven’t wondered where she is.”
“I know.”
“Izzy’s never moved on, either,” she said. “I’m not saying you have, understand, but it’s different with her. It’s the hate, her wanting to get even, that’s consumed her. It’s devouring her. She hates Andrew so much, she’s so convinced he did it, that he did something to Brie. I say to her, where’s your proof? Give me something, other than a feeling. I think, sometimes, not about whether he really might have done it, but about what if he didn’t? What if Izzy’s wrong? And if Andrew didn’t do it, think how horribly we’ve treated him all this time. He’s suffered, too, you know. He lost his wife. He lost the love of his life.”
Albert gave his mother’s hand another squeeze. As the cancer spread and the end grew near, she spoke of little else but Brie. Would knowing what happened to Brie really bring Elizabeth any comfort if it turned out her daughter was dead?
Albert had his doubts.
“I think,” he said tentatively, “if Brie were alive, and knew what condition you’re in, she’d find a way to get here, to see you.”
The door opened and a male nurse walked in.
“Hey,” he said with false cheer. “How are we doing today, Mrs. McBain?”
She looked at her son, rolled her eyes, and said, “Just peachy.”
“Just wanted to see if you’d like to get wheeled down to the atrium for a change of scenery?”
Elizabeth shook her head. “No, thank you.”
“I’ll check in on you again later in case you change your mind.” The nurse spun on his heel and left.
Albert leaned over his mom and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “I’ll come back and see you this afternoon. Is there anything you want? Anything I can bring you?”
“You know what I want,” she said, and her eyelids slowly descended.
Seven
Andrew
I’ll admit, looking at that image of the woman standing in the driveway did give me something of a jolt, prompting me to involuntarily let the son of God’s name slip from my lips.
But the image was by no means conclusive.
Did this woman—this blurry woman, at that—bear a passing resemblance to my wife, Brie? Yes. She was about the right height. She had dark hair and wore it roughly the same way. Above the shoulders, and curled around her face. The way she moved from the driver’s door to the tailgate, I couldn’t really say whether her gait was similar to Brie’s. It was only a few steps. Not enough to really tell.
The clearest shot was when she stood looking directly at the house, when she dropped her groceries, seemingly stunned by what she was looking at.
The house that was supposed to be there was gone.
If Brie were to miraculously return after six years, and if those six years for the rest of us had somehow seemed to be no more than a day to her, well, for sure, stepping out of some kind of time machine, finding your house gone and another one in its place, would certainly throw you for a loop.
But the very idea seemed preposterous.
