AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Cassie nodded, but her throat was too thick with emotion to speak.
“And if it’s ever too much for you, I’ll build you a cabin in the woods where you never have to talk to anyone ever again, living or dead. Deal?”
That made Cassie laugh. She found her voice again. “Deal.”
33
The sisters had fallen into a quiet silence by the time their father returned to the waiting room. Cassie was the first to spot him. She’d been watching the ghost of an older woman dressed in a nurse’s uniform make laps and mime taking people’s names when he approached from the side.
“How is she?”
“She’s good. She wants to talk to you.”
Cassie swallowed. “Am I in trouble?”
He laughed and kissed the top of her head. “I don’t think so. Just be gentle with her, okay?”
Cassie nodded and followed the nurse through the set of doors, down a long hallway, and into a room with two beds. Relief flooded through Cassie when she saw the second bed was empty. There was nothing worse than having an audience when you were baring your soul to someone.
The nurse left, and Cassie walked around the curtain that had been half-pulled around her mother’s bed. Judy Quinn looked the same as always, except for the pulse oximeter clipped to her finger and a couple of electrodes that disappeared under the top of her gown. Her skin had a glow, her eyes were bright, and she was sitting upright in bed. A small glass of water sat on the nightstand next to her phone.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Cassie.” She smiled, and Cassie’s shoulders relaxed. “Come sit by me.”
Cassie sat down in the chair and took her mom’s hand. “How are you feeling?”
Judy clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes. “I’m fine. I had a panic attack, can you believe that? Thought I was dying for a minute there. So dramatic.”
“You scared everyone.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”
“I’m sorry, too, Mom. I shouldn’t have gotten so upset. I shouldn’t have left like that. I—”
“Stop.” Judy squeezed Cassie’s hand and waited until she had her daughter’s full attention. “None of that was your fault. I got myself worked up. You had a right to be upset.”
“Dad said you thought I wasn’t coming back.”
She shrugged, but she looked sheepish. “I’d just gotten you back. I didn’t want to lose you again.”
“You won’t.” Cassie let the weight of her words fall over both of them. “I promise, okay? But that means we both have to get better at talking about the stuff that hurts.”
“I know.” Her eyes sparkled. “Where should we start?”
Cassie chuckled. It was nice seeing her mom this open and vulnerable. If only it didn’t come with a hospital fee equal to the price of a college education. “First, I want to apologize for how I reacted.” Cassie held up a hand when her mom argued. “I know it’s okay. It’s behind us. But it’s important to me that you understand how sorry I am. I was feeling raw and vulnerable and hurt that you and Dad kept secrets from me—secrets about myself. There are bits of me missing, and that’s a scary feeling to have.”
“Your father and I love you so much.” She sat up a little straighter in bed. “We’ll always love you. Everything we’ve ever done was to protect you. When Sarah went missing, it broke something inside me. Up until that point, I’d never been that scared. If the person who took her had chosen the house a few doors down, it could’ve been one of you girls.”
“I understand.” Cassie swallowed. This was going to be the hard part. “Can I ask you some questions about Sarah? About the time when she disappeared?”
Judy chewed the inside of her cheek. “You’re an adult. I know I don’t need to keep those things from you anymore, but it’s still difficult. You’re always going to be my little girl.”
Cassie smiled. It was as much permission as she was going to get. But now that the floor was hers, she felt tongue-tied. What she really wanted to ask was Am I the reason Sarah is dead? But her mom would never say she was, even if Cassie could force the question out of her mouth.
Instead, she thought back to what she had learned so far and realized it wasn’t much. The connection between Sarah, Sebastian and Ethan was a mystery. “Did they ever figure out why Sarah was taken? Did anything happen in the days leading up to her disappearance that made them realize she’d been a target?”
“Not that I can remember.” Judy took a sip of water and leaned back into her pillows. “A couple kids had already gone missing in the area, and all the parents were being especially careful. We wouldn’t let you play outside without one of us watching. You girls hated it, of course, but I didn’t care how mad you got at me. Those were the rules. And you listened. For the most part.”
