Chapter 13
"Time for your medication, Mrs. Crane."
Rebecca clenched her jaw. At midnight?
"Alright. If you must," Nurse Lilly sighed. Producing a syringe.
Rebecca's blue eyes widened in horror. "No," she shook her head. "No."
Nurse Lilly's blue eyes were cold as ice. Years of working for Mr. Crane had hardened her heart. It didn't
pay to feel things. To have a heart. Not here. "Really," she chided. "You should know better by now," she smiled as she plunged the needle in the first vein she could find.
Rebecca's jaw relaxed, and her shoulders slumped within seconds.
Nurse Lilly kept a close eye on her until her eyelids drooped sleepily. "Just what do you know?"
The door creaked on its hinges as it swung shut behind her.
"Everything," Rebecca mumbled.
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"Do you ever take a hint?" Gwen huffed in irritation.
"Hint? You've been giving me hints?" Hank smirked.
"Ugh! You're impossible!"
Hank grinned. She was so easy to rile up. "Thanks."
Gwen groaned in frustration. None of the damn keys fit.
"Let me," Hank insisted. Taking the keys from her hand and choosing the correct one immediately. "There you go."
She snatched the key from him and inserted it in the lock.
"Hey! I thought you were going to invite me in!" Hank yelled. "Be Mr. Nice Guy to her, and how does she repay me? Slams the door in my face. That's a definite hint, Buddy," he muttered to himself as he walked down the hall to the elevator.
The elderly woman from Apartment 221 smiled at him benignly. "Don't worry about it, Dearie. Me and my husband had more than our share of lovers' spats when we were young. Flowers are the perfect way to say you're sorry. Charlie always gave me the most beautiful roses. Only the best."
Hank bit back the retort on his lips. "Thanks for the advice, Mrs. Rosenberg." Maybe he should just take the stairs.
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"Theresa? Theresa? Are you here?" Paloma called.
The house was eerily silent. And the darkness made her reach for Matthew's little hand.
"Aunt Paloma.where's my mommy?" Matthew's bottom lip quivered, and tears threatened at the corners of his big brown eyes.
Paloma lifted him into her arms and hugged him tightly. "I don't know. But we'll find her." She jumped at the feeling of Wolf's cold, wet nose nudging her hand. "Wolf! You scared me."
Wolf whimpered and trotted down the hall. He was halfway to Theresa and Ethan's bedroom when he turned around. As if waiting for them.
Paloma crept carefully down the carpeted hall. Straining her ears for any unusual noises.
"Somebody's crying," Matthew whispered.
"Theresa? Theresa, is that you?"
"Mommy? Mommy, are you okay?"
The sobbing grew quieter, and Paloma heard the soft thud of footsteps. She grabbed her chest in fright when Theresa's bedroom door opened suddenly.
"Matthew!" Theresa said brightly. Holding her arms open to her son.
Matthew wrapped his little arms around her neck and kissed her soundly on the cheek. "No tears, Mommy," he whispered. Tracing the tear tracks down her cheeks.
"No tears," she smiled. "No more tears."
Paloma followed them both to Matthew's room. Brow knit with worry. Something had happened. Something bad.
"Paloma? Will you get Matthew's blue pj's out of his dresser for me?"
Matthew raised his arms for her to take his shirt off, and she slipped the soft cotton pj's over his head with a kiss to his forehead. "Mommy," he mumbled. "Stay with me. Please."
"Okay," she said into his dark hair. Pulling the covers up over them both and snuggling closer to him.
She curled up in the armchair by the window. The stars' light painting her face. And drifted to sleep to the sound of her sister's melodic voice. Her mind churning with unanswered questions. Would she ever get all the answers?
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Luis rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he padded into the kitchen. Too much had happened today. He just could not sleep.
"Mijo."
His mother's whispered word of endearment startled him. And he almost dropped the pitcher of milk in his hands. "Mama.I didn't know you were awake." He could see the smile on his mother's face even in the darkness.
"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I didn't mean to frighten you."
Luis chuckled. "Frightened, Mama? You didn't frighten me. Well.maybe just a little. Nothing is as scary as the thought of losing a child. Especially your child," he said quietly.
Pilar lowered her head into her hands with a sigh. "Sheridan, Mijo? How is she? Does she sleep?"
Luis ran a tired hand through his thick black hair. "She won't let Danielle out of her sight. That bed is not made for three."
Her brown eyes shone in the darkness. "Three is better than seven," she smiled.
Luis laughed aloud at the memory. "Me and Antonio were making sure you and Papa weren't scared. Paloma begged me to stay."
"Is that right, Mijo?" she laughed softly. "I think you have your stories mixed up."
"Mama? Are you calling me a liar?" Luis ribbed.
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She watched the gentle rise and fall of Danielle's chest. And stroked her dark hair back from her forehead. Her fingers lingering on the bandages there. So close. Today was too close. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you for keeping her safe for me."
"Mmm. What did you say, Mommy?" Danielle mumbled in her sleep.
"Nothing. Go back to sleep."
Danielle smiled in her sleep and murmured, "I love you, Mommy."
"I love you, too."
The curtains ruffled in the breeze, and she sighed as she felt its coolness on her face. She picked up the clock on the night stand beside her. It was after midnight. Where was Luis?
Danielle clutched her mother's pillow. Breathing in the comforting scent of her perfume as she eased herself from her hold.
She smiled tenderly at her daughter and slipped her arms into the pale pink satin robe resting at the foot of the bed.
Pilar's and Luis's muffled voices floated upstairs from the kitchen.
She trailed her fingertips along the smooth banister. She froze mid-step at what she heard next.
"Hush little baby. Don't say a word."
The sound of a child's giggle. Light and joyous. It made her heart hammer in her chest.
"Mama's going to buy you a mocking bird."
She closed her blue eyes tight. Held her hands over her ears.
"A mocking bird? What's a mocking bird?"
Tears streamed down her face unchecked.
"A mocking bird's a bird, silly."
"Oh. More."
"And if that."
"No! Over! Over!"
"Over?"
More giggles.
She shivered. And raised a hand to her cheek. The whisper of a kiss making it tingle.
"Hush little baby. Don't say a word. Hush little baby. Don't say a word. Hush little baby. Don't say a word."
"NO! NO! STOP IT! PLEASE STOP IT!" she screamed. Falling to her knees.
"Time for your medication, Mrs. Crane."
Rebecca clenched her jaw. At midnight?
"Alright. If you must," Nurse Lilly sighed. Producing a syringe.
Rebecca's blue eyes widened in horror. "No," she shook her head. "No."
Nurse Lilly's blue eyes were cold as ice. Years of working for Mr. Crane had hardened her heart. It didn't
pay to feel things. To have a heart. Not here. "Really," she chided. "You should know better by now," she smiled as she plunged the needle in the first vein she could find.
Rebecca's jaw relaxed, and her shoulders slumped within seconds.
Nurse Lilly kept a close eye on her until her eyelids drooped sleepily. "Just what do you know?"
The door creaked on its hinges as it swung shut behind her.
"Everything," Rebecca mumbled.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
"Do you ever take a hint?" Gwen huffed in irritation.
"Hint? You've been giving me hints?" Hank smirked.
"Ugh! You're impossible!"
Hank grinned. She was so easy to rile up. "Thanks."
Gwen groaned in frustration. None of the damn keys fit.
"Let me," Hank insisted. Taking the keys from her hand and choosing the correct one immediately. "There you go."
She snatched the key from him and inserted it in the lock.
"Hey! I thought you were going to invite me in!" Hank yelled. "Be Mr. Nice Guy to her, and how does she repay me? Slams the door in my face. That's a definite hint, Buddy," he muttered to himself as he walked down the hall to the elevator.
The elderly woman from Apartment 221 smiled at him benignly. "Don't worry about it, Dearie. Me and my husband had more than our share of lovers' spats when we were young. Flowers are the perfect way to say you're sorry. Charlie always gave me the most beautiful roses. Only the best."
Hank bit back the retort on his lips. "Thanks for the advice, Mrs. Rosenberg." Maybe he should just take the stairs.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
"Theresa? Theresa? Are you here?" Paloma called.
The house was eerily silent. And the darkness made her reach for Matthew's little hand.
"Aunt Paloma.where's my mommy?" Matthew's bottom lip quivered, and tears threatened at the corners of his big brown eyes.
Paloma lifted him into her arms and hugged him tightly. "I don't know. But we'll find her." She jumped at the feeling of Wolf's cold, wet nose nudging her hand. "Wolf! You scared me."
Wolf whimpered and trotted down the hall. He was halfway to Theresa and Ethan's bedroom when he turned around. As if waiting for them.
Paloma crept carefully down the carpeted hall. Straining her ears for any unusual noises.
"Somebody's crying," Matthew whispered.
"Theresa? Theresa, is that you?"
"Mommy? Mommy, are you okay?"
The sobbing grew quieter, and Paloma heard the soft thud of footsteps. She grabbed her chest in fright when Theresa's bedroom door opened suddenly.
"Matthew!" Theresa said brightly. Holding her arms open to her son.
Matthew wrapped his little arms around her neck and kissed her soundly on the cheek. "No tears, Mommy," he whispered. Tracing the tear tracks down her cheeks.
"No tears," she smiled. "No more tears."
Paloma followed them both to Matthew's room. Brow knit with worry. Something had happened. Something bad.
"Paloma? Will you get Matthew's blue pj's out of his dresser for me?"
Matthew raised his arms for her to take his shirt off, and she slipped the soft cotton pj's over his head with a kiss to his forehead. "Mommy," he mumbled. "Stay with me. Please."
"Okay," she said into his dark hair. Pulling the covers up over them both and snuggling closer to him.
She curled up in the armchair by the window. The stars' light painting her face. And drifted to sleep to the sound of her sister's melodic voice. Her mind churning with unanswered questions. Would she ever get all the answers?
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Luis rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he padded into the kitchen. Too much had happened today. He just could not sleep.
"Mijo."
His mother's whispered word of endearment startled him. And he almost dropped the pitcher of milk in his hands. "Mama.I didn't know you were awake." He could see the smile on his mother's face even in the darkness.
"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I didn't mean to frighten you."
Luis chuckled. "Frightened, Mama? You didn't frighten me. Well.maybe just a little. Nothing is as scary as the thought of losing a child. Especially your child," he said quietly.
Pilar lowered her head into her hands with a sigh. "Sheridan, Mijo? How is she? Does she sleep?"
Luis ran a tired hand through his thick black hair. "She won't let Danielle out of her sight. That bed is not made for three."
Her brown eyes shone in the darkness. "Three is better than seven," she smiled.
Luis laughed aloud at the memory. "Me and Antonio were making sure you and Papa weren't scared. Paloma begged me to stay."
"Is that right, Mijo?" she laughed softly. "I think you have your stories mixed up."
"Mama? Are you calling me a liar?" Luis ribbed.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
She watched the gentle rise and fall of Danielle's chest. And stroked her dark hair back from her forehead. Her fingers lingering on the bandages there. So close. Today was too close. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you for keeping her safe for me."
"Mmm. What did you say, Mommy?" Danielle mumbled in her sleep.
"Nothing. Go back to sleep."
Danielle smiled in her sleep and murmured, "I love you, Mommy."
"I love you, too."
The curtains ruffled in the breeze, and she sighed as she felt its coolness on her face. She picked up the clock on the night stand beside her. It was after midnight. Where was Luis?
Danielle clutched her mother's pillow. Breathing in the comforting scent of her perfume as she eased herself from her hold.
She smiled tenderly at her daughter and slipped her arms into the pale pink satin robe resting at the foot of the bed.
Pilar's and Luis's muffled voices floated upstairs from the kitchen.
She trailed her fingertips along the smooth banister. She froze mid-step at what she heard next.
"Hush little baby. Don't say a word."
The sound of a child's giggle. Light and joyous. It made her heart hammer in her chest.
"Mama's going to buy you a mocking bird."
She closed her blue eyes tight. Held her hands over her ears.
"A mocking bird? What's a mocking bird?"
Tears streamed down her face unchecked.
"A mocking bird's a bird, silly."
"Oh. More."
"And if that."
"No! Over! Over!"
"Over?"
More giggles.
She shivered. And raised a hand to her cheek. The whisper of a kiss making it tingle.
"Hush little baby. Don't say a word. Hush little baby. Don't say a word. Hush little baby. Don't say a word."
"NO! NO! STOP IT! PLEASE STOP IT!" she screamed. Falling to her knees.