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Mama quickly filled Thad in. Like me, he said he hadn’t heard any of the story until now. He immediately pulled out his phone and loaded the video from the interview.
I stepped closer to see it for myself.
Annie looked terrific, wearing a blue sweater that flattered her figure. Her hair had been pulled back into a bun; loose tendrils framed her elegant face.
“She’s so pretty,” Thad said, pointing out the obvious.
“Do you remember her?” Mama asked.
“Not really,” Thad said.
“I can’t remember her much either,” Soren said. “Although I have an image of her at the dinner table with us.”
“She ate with us a few times a week,” Mama said. “Annieloved being around a big family. She was Jennie and Mark’s only child.”
We continued to watch the awkward interview, which ultimately ended with Annie walking off the set. I agreed with Annie. Kat Jenkins should be ashamed of herself. The way she’d pushed Annie on something so deeply personal wasn’t right. No wonder she’d grown so agitated and emotional.
“I personally think it makes that fake blonde woman look like a bully,” Mama said.
“Agreed,” Thad said. “Is there anything we can do to help Annie? This is terrible.”
“We don’t know how to reach her,” Mama said. “She’s a big star now. She might only barely remember us.”
I had no doubt Annie remembered us. Even if my brothers were too young to recall much of those years, Annie and I had been old enough to remember all of it. Unless we repressed it, which no one could blame us for. I wish I knew how she’d handled it all these years. If only I’d stayed in better touch.
“We’ll pray for her,” Thad said. “Maybe she’ll reach out, seeing as how the story affects us too.”
Mama tented her hands just under her chin. “I’m going to ask God to send her home to us. We’re the only ones besides her father who truly understand what she went through.”
“She might still be going through it,” Rafferty said. “I took enough psych classes in med school to know that being confronted with all of this could be a huge trigger for her. Especially if she hasn’t fully dealt with what happened.”
“What about you boys?” Pop asked. “Everyone okay? This might bring up some stuff for you too.”
“I want to beat the living daylights out of whoever outed this story,” Soren said.
“I’m with you,” I said.
“Do you think we talked about what happened enough when you were boys?” Pop asked, resting his elbows on the counter.His hair had started to turn silver at the temples, and there were fine lines at his eyes, but he kept fit and had the energy of a much younger man. “Maybe we just tried to move you all along too quickly instead of paying attention to your mental health. I’ve been reading a lot about trauma lately, and I just don’t know. I may have failed you boys.”
“Slurfpig,” Thad said, pointing to the painting. “That’s all we needed.”
“That’s right,” Soren said. “The two of you made us feel safe.”
“And loved,” Caspian said.
“Always supported, whatever we chose to do,” Rafferty said.
Mama’s eyes filled. “You boys are too much.” We all headed toward her, but Pop beat us to it, wrapping his arm around her. “Hey now, it’s all right. We’re all together. Everything’s going to be fine.”
“Slurfpig,” Caspian said softly from behind the stove.
“Long live Slurfpig,” I said.
3
ANNIE
I’d flown into Bozeman from Los Angeles on a midday flight. Holding a sign with my fake name, the driver waited for me just outside of baggage claim. I’d pulled my hair into a bun and wore a knit cap and large sunglasses. So far, I’d remained unrecognized. Soon, we were headed down the two-lane highway that would take us to Bluefern. A layer of snow covered the ground, glistening under the soft autumnal sunlight. Most of the leaves had fallen from the deciduous trees, but the firs, pines, and cedars boasted green frocks. Snow-capped mountains beckoned to me from afar.
