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The apricot tree that I kept dreaming about still stands here. Its branches are bare since spring is still a few weeks away but the sight is enough to make me feel warm and safe.
Taking a deep breath, I move toward the door that leads to the kitchen.
As I draw close, I catch a glimpse of Heather through the windows. The elderly woman has been our housekeeper since I was a child and my mom was still alive. Even though she’s not related to us, she’s practically family.
Tears sting my eyes as I watch her. She’s thrown on her favorite sunflower-patterned apron and is busily cooking something on the stovetop. The serene look on her face is so familiar, I feel a deep ache in my chest.
She can never know what happened to me over the past three months. Her kind heart would shatter to pieces if she heard the horrors I lived through.
I’ve got to stay strong, I tell myself before pushing open the kitchen door.
A gasp escapes her at my sudden entry.
“Oh, gods!” she wheezes, patting her chest. “You scared the pants off me, Rory.” Her eyes widen as she takes a closer look at me. “What happened to you? Why do you look so skinny?”
I flick a thick strand of hair behind my shoulder. “I look good enough to walk a ramp, don’t I?”
A frown darkens her aging face. “You’ll be walking into a doctor’s office if you keep going this way!” she snaps. Moving closer, she cups my face between her hands. “You’re such a beautiful girl, Rory. There’s no need to starve yourself, sweetie.”
Tears well up in my eyes. It feels so damn good to see Heather again.
“By the way, where have you been over the past month?” she asks, her gaze narrowing. “Your dad’s been trying to get in touch with you for weeks now! I know you’re living your own life but think about the poor man you’ve left behind. He misses you, Rory. Is it too much to ask that you have dinner with him once in a while?”
“Dad’s been trying to reach me?”
“Not just him. I was calling you too. Did you lose your phone or something?”
“Yeah,” I lie easily. “I’m sorry about that.”
“You should’ve given us your new contact details the second you got a new phone,” Heather scolds. “Do you have any idea how worried we’ve been? Philip was even considering talking to that jackass boyfriend of yours.”
“Jake?”
She nods, looking furious. “You know Philip doesn’t like him. Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is to ask someone else about your own daughter? Still, he’d have done that if you didn’t show up here today.”
A frustrated noise escapes her. “What do I do with you, kid? I don’t know if you’ve noticed it yet, but I’m getting old. My poor, weak bones can’t keep up with all the trouble you create.”
“I’m sorry about everything,” I say in a choked voice.
She looks immediately startled. “Did I just hear you apologize?”
Closing the distance between us, I wrap my arms around her. The subtle whiff of honey wafts into my nostrils, making me bury my face in her chest.
A surprised squeak escapes Heather as I squeeze her tight. “Okay, then,” she says with a chuckle. “We’re really hugging.”
It’s taking everything in me to hold back my tears. An overwhelming need to tell her the truth wells inside me. The ache in my heart suffocates me, making it nearly impossible to bottle up my pain.
You’ll break her heart if you tell her, I silently remind myself and hug her tightly.
Heather pats my back and allows me to hold onto her for a long minute.
Taking a deep breath, I break away and muster up the biggest smile I can. “I saw you cooking just now,” I say, turning away and moving toward the stove. I hastily wipe my tears before she has a chance to see them. “What’re we having today?”
“I’m making some Reuben sandwiches and soup for Philip’s lunch,” she says.
“Is Dad home?”
“Nope. He’s rarely home these days. I was going to deliver it to his office on my way to the post office.” She heaves a long breath. “He’ll be so happy when I tell him you’ve come home. Why don’t you stay until you’ve had dinner?”
