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“She’s with an emergency sitter,” Parker explains.
I cry into his arms in relief that he is there for me.
“Do you know what happened?” Parker asks once I finally calm down.
“No idea,” I explained that I just arrived and the place looked like this.
Parker listens to me and squeezes me tightly, “I will look around to make sure no one else is here. Stay by the door.”
I stand by the door and watch as Parker goes into the bedroom, he does not return right away and I am filled with worry.
“Parker!” I call out and am met with no response.
Swallowing, I head into the room.
I see Parker sitting on the ground holding a picture frame in his hands.
“I haven’t seen a picture of Josie in years,” Parker mumbles.
Glancing down, I see it is a picture of Josie and I at our freshman year homecoming dance. Neither of us had dates so we went together. Her short brown hair was held back by a black headband that matched her black dress and I was wearing a bright purple dress and my hair was in an updo. We thought we were the shit back then and looking at the cracked glass of the picture frame made my own heart crack.
“I can’t believe they broke the picture,” I say, sitting down next to Parker.
“It looks like they threw it against the wall,” Parker points to the wall where there is some glass embedded into the paint. He was right. This was beginning to seem less like a stranger did this and more like someone who knew me but no one knew I was in New York City.
Parker’s eyes are still glued to the picture.
“You look so young here,” Parker whispers. “You both do.”
“She loved you, you know,” I heard myself saying. “After you left, all Josie could talk about was how successful her big brother was going to be.”
Parker looks up at me, “Really?”
I nod.
It is true. Josie looked up to Parker, even if he was an ass back then and I never agreed with her but she was right. Parker owns his own business, has a great home, and an even greater daughter. He has made a name for himself and surprisingly, I care deeply for him.
“Wow, I feel awful, I barely thought about her until her accident. Thinking that she died hating me has eaten away at me all these years,” Parker confesses.
“Josie never hated you. She admired you and would be so proud of you and Maisey.”
Parker starts to tear up before looking away from me. He hugs the picture to his chest, cutting through his shirt.
“Be careful,” I say.
Parker looks down and sees his ripped shirt. He pulls his jacket tighter around him and zips it up.
“See, no one will know.”
Parker smiles up at me.
“Come on, let's see what else is broken?” Parker stands up and exits the room with the picture in his hands.
Chapter 16 - Parker Madison
Seeing the picture of Josie is making my head spin. My dear sister has been gone for a while now but I often think of her at the oddest times. Today was no different.
Hearing Cam say that Josie cared for me and looked up to me is doing things to my heart. It feels good knowing she loved me, even after I left her and our family behind.
