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Bonnie wasn’t going to let the memory take hold. Not today. She was going to get her babies home and make sure they were ok. All of them. Especially Crispin.
It would hit them all soon enough what had happened. Just like it had when they had lost Nick. But… “We lived.”
“Yes. You did.”
“We’ll be ok.” She looked up at her daughter. A mother…wasn’t just biological. Kemberly had shown her that so many years ago. A mother was a mother…through love. Bonnie would always love her girls. All ten of them. “We have each other.”
“Yes. I still…don’t understand what he was doing.”
“I don’t think any of us will. For a while. We’ll have to piece it together. Later. For now…let’s catch your sister. She’s determined.”
“You know how she gets.” Cashlyn smiled. That sweet, sweet smile she’d gotten from Bonnie’s grandmother, the first Francisca. So many of her girls had a variation of that smile. Just like Bonnie did. “Even a crazy madman can’t stop a Crispin with a plan.”
Bonnie gave a small laugh. It was true. “Of all of us, Crispin is our heart. She is…and you. And Joy. You three lead with love first, baby girl. That’s one of the things that make you so special. Don’t ever forget that.”
“We got it from you.” She caught up with her sisters, then wheeled Bonnie in after they’d somehow gotten Crispin in the elevator, crutches and all.
Crispin Maria on crutches. That could be chaos. Heaven help them all.
“Where are you going?” Bonnie looked at her baby. She had her sunglasses again. Prescription, for a bit of nearsightedness, but mostly for the photophobia. Someone had brought her spare pair from home. Her other pair…long gone now.
“Sydney said there was another girl. And she was my sister. She has blue hair, and I am going to find her.” There was determination in Crispin’s eyes. “I need to make certain she and Sydney are going to be ok before I can…just go back to my life like nothing happened.”
Bonnie understood.
She and Crispin—they would have to find ways through the trauma. And that was going to take time.
They would never be able to go back as if nothing had happened.
“And what about my little brother?Ourlittle brother?” Crispin asked. “I don’t know where they took him. I need to make sure he’s ok.”
“He was in room 406 last night. I saw him,” Cashlyn said simply. “He is going home with…that girl’s older sister, Cris. Well,ourolder sister, too. Her name is Zoey, and she used to work for the TSP. But now she is working for a company that helps reunite separated families. She’s been searching for the truth…about Denita. She said she wants us to visit him. And his sister Oakley. The little girl. They think she’s around six, maybe younger, and he’s around three or so. But they don’t know for certain yet.”
“She’s Sheriff Lake’s girlfriend, isn’t she?” Bonnie asked.
“I think so,” Cashlyn said quietly. Cashlyn was always so quiet. “They’ve decided that she’s going to keep both kids. We discussed it last night. The kids think she is their mother already, so I think that’s probably a good idea. Why compound their trauma by telling them they can’t have her as their mother now? I talked to another of Denita’s daughters last night, too. She’s the oldest girl, that they know of.”
Bonnie tried not to flinch. “He called them that. Denita’s daughters.”
“He did,” Crispin said. “The old fat pig. I think we should come up with another name for ourselves. Once…we’re all together. We can vote. Separated Sisters. Coleson Critters, since…we have brothers now, too. Something like that.”
“We’ll do that, baby girl. I promise.” Bonnie’s heart broke for her babies. For what they had lost with these brothers and sisters by not getting a chance to know them.
“I don’t want to rememberanythinghe did.” Crispin’s tone was fierce. Samia slipped an arm around her and hugged her.
But Bonnie knew it wouldn’t work that way. Any more…than Joy could forget losing Nick the way she had. The trauma, the memories—Crispin would have them forever.
Just like Bonnie would.
“We’ll be ok. I promise. We are Colesons. And Colesons take care of Colesons.”
“No matter what,” her three baby girls said together.
Bonnie meant it, too.
No matter what.
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