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CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE– MULBERRY
“Are you sure you don’t hate me?” Emma said.
“Emma, you’ve asked me that every single day. My answer isn’t going to change. You’re not responsible for your father’s actions.”
Emma brushed her hair behind her ear, leaning on the porch railing.
“I know, but Mulberry, I can’t believe it. Still.”
She reached out and squeezed her friend’s hand. “I know. I’m going to go find Grandma.”
“Okay. I’ll go clean your room.”
“Emma, stop it.”
“What? I did that before discovering my dad was responsible for ruining your life.”
Mulberry sighed. Eventually, Emma would get that she didn’t blame her for what Sheldon had done. But she couldn’t believe it either.
Sheldon saw her grow up, and Mulberry considered him family.
Her mom was crushed.
Mulberry pulled a sweater off the railing and pulled it on, her feet carrying her by memory to the grove.
As she took the path, she touched the leaves of the orange trees as she passed.
“And here I was wondering if you were ever going to come into the groves,” her grandma smiled, her eyes so blue like Grace’s.
“I wasn’t avoiding them.”
“Could have fooled me,” her grandmother winked at her, looking so much like her mother that she laughed.
“I like the sound of your laughter. We haven’t heard it for a while.”
Mulberry rubbed her arms, the cold December wind ruffling her hair. “I guess you haven’t. Sorry, grandma.”
“You don’t have to apologize for it. Grab a basket. No, not that one, the smaller one.”
Mulberry grabbed a basket from the ground and worked alongside her grandma.
After she chose to confront the media, she was swept up by her mother’s PR team and the police, the questions relentless.
Her mom wrapped up filming on the show and immediately took Mulberry on a European trip, with her Dad and Stewart joining them.
It helped her compartmentalize for a while and not think about what had happened.
She shopped, did all the sightseeing with her parents, and ate fantastic food.
And every time she heard a word of French spoken, her heart broke.
When they’d been home for two days, Emma had shown up at her door with flowers and gift baskets enough for ten people.
Grace told Emma she could live with them until she figured out what she wanted to do.
Emma had sobbed in their arms.
She couldn’t reconcile Sheldon being behind her abduction.
