Chapter 37
"Which is it, Chad? Either you believe me, or you don't. I'm going to get to the bottom of this with or without your help."
The muffin lay uneaten before him.
Thin wisps of steam still curled from the coffee mug.
"Kay," he began. Rubbing his hand over his face tiredly. "Your moms has definitely changed..."
Kay's defensive stance relaxed a bit, her arms uncrossing and the fingers of one hand fiddling self-consciously with the tiny straw in her coffee.
"But...what was it? Nine? Ten years? That's a whole lot of time, Kay. Something wouldn't be right if she hadn't changed..."
"Oh yeah," Kay muttered sarcastically. "Like murderous urges and evil manipulation are normal. Open your eyes, Chad!" she snapped. "My mother would never, ever think about hurting me. Forget trying. Sure, she ignored me a lot and catered to Charity's every whim. But she'd never intentionally hurt me, and we both know it."
Chad's skepticism was slowly fading. But... "Suppose you're right. How do you explain her memories away? Or the fact that she looks exactly like her?"
"I don't know, okay?" Kay slapped her palms down on the table counter.
Beth watched them with curious eyes for a moment before returning her attention to a customer.
"Kay! Girl, where are you going?"
"To find my own damn answers," she muttered as she tore out of the Book Café.
He tossed a few bills on the table and raced after her.
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Her hand trailed over the smooth banister as she slowly climbed the steps.
She could hear Luis and Hank's mingled voices downstairs.
One of the top steps groaned under her weight, and she nearly lost her balance, startled when Pilar appeared in front of her.
"Pilar! You scared me."
Pilar regarded her with suspicious dark eyes, long used to watching out for her children. And Sheridan was as much her daughter as Theresa.
Gwen sighed as she realized Pilar would probably never accept her at face value, and a good portion of the fault was hers. "I came to visit Sheridan. Is she..."
"Gwen," Pilar's voice held a note of warning. "Now is not a good time. I'm not sure Sheridan would want..."
"Gwen! Gwen, it's so good to see you."
Gwen smiled as Sheridan hugged her close. "It's been too long, hasn't it? I hope you don't mind my dropping by unannounced."
"Mind? Are you crazy?" Sheridan teased as she drew back to look into Gwen's eyes.
"Some people might think so," Gwen murmured, feeling not the least bit guilty when Pilar bristled at her words.
The tension in the air was palpable and wholly uncomfortable to say the least.
Sheridan's blue eyes darted back and forth between the two women, and she held on to Gwen's hand as she spoke. "Pilar...would you give Gwen and I some time alone? It will be all right. I promise," she whispered.
"Yes, Mija," Pilar brushed a kiss against Sheridan's warm cheek. "You know where to find me if you need me."
They watched Pilar descend the stairs.
"Pilar said something about now not being a good time. Am I interrupting something?"
Sheridan's bright smile dimmed slightly, and she ducked her head. "We were cleaning out Andrew's room."
"Oh, Sheridan," Gwen sighed. Wrapping her arms about her friends once more. "I'm...I'm so..."
"It's okay," Sheridan tried to lighten her tone. "I mean, it's hard. So hard," she sighed with tears in her voice. "But it's time. Past time actually. I need to let him go. For good."
"I'm proud of you," Gwen smiled her encouragement. "Can I help?"
"You don't have to," Sheridan protested.
"I WANT to," Gwen told her as she followed her down the hall.
The door creaked open.
Sunlight filtered through the open windows, chasing away the shadows.
The tiny twin bed was stripped of its blue comforter, and boxes were lined along the mattress.
Gwen picked up a well-worn little book. "Goodnight Moon," she murmured.
"His favorite," Sheridan smiled fondly in remembrance. "He wanted me to read it to him every night after his..."
"If this is too much for you, Sheridan..."
Sheridan took a deep, steadying breath and scooped up the small stack of books. Placing them inside one of boxes. "I need to make it through this, okay?"
Gwen nodded and knelt by the small dresser. Pulling out drawers and lifting Andrew's little shirts and shorts to her chest.
Her throat grew tight with the realization...
As improbable as it seemed, Andrew's sweet little boy scent still lingered in this room, on these clothes.
Sheridan blinked away her tears, concentrating on packing up the remainder of the toys.
A miniature baseball bat.
Andrew was supposed to play tee-ball that summer, and Luis and Danielle spent
hours outside playing and practicing with him.
His basketball.
Luis and Danielle would be teamed against her and Andrew.
She remembered his giggles as he sat astride her shoulders and threw the ball through the hoop.
Her fingertips swept the high shelves in the closet, and she shrieked when the toys came cascading down.
Luis must have put them away. He'd known they would upset her. Remind her.
"Sheridan? Are you okay?" Gwen hurried to her side. Dropping the clothes in her hands to the bed and sitting down on the floor beside Sheridan. Her blue eyes were worried. Confused. "Sheridan?" she questioned as Sheridan's eyes filled with tears, and her breath caught in helpless sobs. "What is this?"
Bath time was playtime for Andrew.
Dolphins.
Fishes.
His...
"It's gone," she whispered. "Gwen, it's gone," her voice rose to a frantic pitch. "It's gone. He had it with him..."
"Sheridan," Gwen stilled her restless hands in her own, pulling her into her arms. "Calm down. What's gone? Whatever it is I'm sure it's just been misplaced. I'll help you find it. I will," she whispered. "Sheridan...please," her voice broke as she felt Sheridan's hot tears seeping through her thin cotton shirt.
"Mija!"
"Sheridan!" Luis's dark eyes were filled with such sadness Gwen's heart broke all over again. "Gwen, what happened?"
"I don't know," Gwen responded. Ignoring Pilar's distrustful eyes as Luis pulled Sheridan up and into his arms. "She was cleaning out the closet...the toys...something fell...and the next thing I know, she's falling apart because one of the toys is missing."
Sheridan clung to Luis as he carried her out the door and toward their bedroom.
"Gwen," Pilar's voice was cold. "I think you should leave. Sheridan is upset, and it won't do her any good to have you here."
"Wait a minute," Hank interrupted. "You heard what she said, Pilar. It's not her fault. I love you as much as anyone. You're like family to me. But I think it's time you put the past in the past and move on. It's not Gwen's fault..."
"Hank," Gwen lay a calming hand on his arm. "Hank," her voice dropped to a whisper. "Pilar's right. I think it's time we go."
Hank opened his mouth in protest but quickly shut at the imploring look in her blue eyes.
"Tell her I'll call her as soon as she's feeling better," Gwen pleaded softly.
Pilar remained silent. Watching them with hooded dark eyes as they hurried from the old house by the sea and climbed into Hank's car.
Danielle's blue eyes narrowed as she watched them leave. Matthew by her side.
The gulls cried in the distance, and the waves' steady pounding of the shore was muted as the sounds of sadness surrounded them.
She squinted her eyes against the glinting sunlight and raised a hand to her brow to shade them as she gazed to Andrew's open window above.
Matthew stared at her oddly as she dropped his hand and shuddered.
Her heart was in her throat, making it impossible to breathe, when she saw it.
Him.
"Danielle? Are you okay?" Matthew tugged on her hand gently.
From the window, Andrew called silently to her, arms outstretched. Brown eyes sad.
She blinked her eyes, and the vision was gone.
"Danielle?"
"I'm fine," she lied with a lopsided smile.
Just fine.
"Which is it, Chad? Either you believe me, or you don't. I'm going to get to the bottom of this with or without your help."
The muffin lay uneaten before him.
Thin wisps of steam still curled from the coffee mug.
"Kay," he began. Rubbing his hand over his face tiredly. "Your moms has definitely changed..."
Kay's defensive stance relaxed a bit, her arms uncrossing and the fingers of one hand fiddling self-consciously with the tiny straw in her coffee.
"But...what was it? Nine? Ten years? That's a whole lot of time, Kay. Something wouldn't be right if she hadn't changed..."
"Oh yeah," Kay muttered sarcastically. "Like murderous urges and evil manipulation are normal. Open your eyes, Chad!" she snapped. "My mother would never, ever think about hurting me. Forget trying. Sure, she ignored me a lot and catered to Charity's every whim. But she'd never intentionally hurt me, and we both know it."
Chad's skepticism was slowly fading. But... "Suppose you're right. How do you explain her memories away? Or the fact that she looks exactly like her?"
"I don't know, okay?" Kay slapped her palms down on the table counter.
Beth watched them with curious eyes for a moment before returning her attention to a customer.
"Kay! Girl, where are you going?"
"To find my own damn answers," she muttered as she tore out of the Book Café.
He tossed a few bills on the table and raced after her.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Her hand trailed over the smooth banister as she slowly climbed the steps.
She could hear Luis and Hank's mingled voices downstairs.
One of the top steps groaned under her weight, and she nearly lost her balance, startled when Pilar appeared in front of her.
"Pilar! You scared me."
Pilar regarded her with suspicious dark eyes, long used to watching out for her children. And Sheridan was as much her daughter as Theresa.
Gwen sighed as she realized Pilar would probably never accept her at face value, and a good portion of the fault was hers. "I came to visit Sheridan. Is she..."
"Gwen," Pilar's voice held a note of warning. "Now is not a good time. I'm not sure Sheridan would want..."
"Gwen! Gwen, it's so good to see you."
Gwen smiled as Sheridan hugged her close. "It's been too long, hasn't it? I hope you don't mind my dropping by unannounced."
"Mind? Are you crazy?" Sheridan teased as she drew back to look into Gwen's eyes.
"Some people might think so," Gwen murmured, feeling not the least bit guilty when Pilar bristled at her words.
The tension in the air was palpable and wholly uncomfortable to say the least.
Sheridan's blue eyes darted back and forth between the two women, and she held on to Gwen's hand as she spoke. "Pilar...would you give Gwen and I some time alone? It will be all right. I promise," she whispered.
"Yes, Mija," Pilar brushed a kiss against Sheridan's warm cheek. "You know where to find me if you need me."
They watched Pilar descend the stairs.
"Pilar said something about now not being a good time. Am I interrupting something?"
Sheridan's bright smile dimmed slightly, and she ducked her head. "We were cleaning out Andrew's room."
"Oh, Sheridan," Gwen sighed. Wrapping her arms about her friends once more. "I'm...I'm so..."
"It's okay," Sheridan tried to lighten her tone. "I mean, it's hard. So hard," she sighed with tears in her voice. "But it's time. Past time actually. I need to let him go. For good."
"I'm proud of you," Gwen smiled her encouragement. "Can I help?"
"You don't have to," Sheridan protested.
"I WANT to," Gwen told her as she followed her down the hall.
The door creaked open.
Sunlight filtered through the open windows, chasing away the shadows.
The tiny twin bed was stripped of its blue comforter, and boxes were lined along the mattress.
Gwen picked up a well-worn little book. "Goodnight Moon," she murmured.
"His favorite," Sheridan smiled fondly in remembrance. "He wanted me to read it to him every night after his..."
"If this is too much for you, Sheridan..."
Sheridan took a deep, steadying breath and scooped up the small stack of books. Placing them inside one of boxes. "I need to make it through this, okay?"
Gwen nodded and knelt by the small dresser. Pulling out drawers and lifting Andrew's little shirts and shorts to her chest.
Her throat grew tight with the realization...
As improbable as it seemed, Andrew's sweet little boy scent still lingered in this room, on these clothes.
Sheridan blinked away her tears, concentrating on packing up the remainder of the toys.
A miniature baseball bat.
Andrew was supposed to play tee-ball that summer, and Luis and Danielle spent
hours outside playing and practicing with him.
His basketball.
Luis and Danielle would be teamed against her and Andrew.
She remembered his giggles as he sat astride her shoulders and threw the ball through the hoop.
Her fingertips swept the high shelves in the closet, and she shrieked when the toys came cascading down.
Luis must have put them away. He'd known they would upset her. Remind her.
"Sheridan? Are you okay?" Gwen hurried to her side. Dropping the clothes in her hands to the bed and sitting down on the floor beside Sheridan. Her blue eyes were worried. Confused. "Sheridan?" she questioned as Sheridan's eyes filled with tears, and her breath caught in helpless sobs. "What is this?"
Bath time was playtime for Andrew.
Dolphins.
Fishes.
His...
"It's gone," she whispered. "Gwen, it's gone," her voice rose to a frantic pitch. "It's gone. He had it with him..."
"Sheridan," Gwen stilled her restless hands in her own, pulling her into her arms. "Calm down. What's gone? Whatever it is I'm sure it's just been misplaced. I'll help you find it. I will," she whispered. "Sheridan...please," her voice broke as she felt Sheridan's hot tears seeping through her thin cotton shirt.
"Mija!"
"Sheridan!" Luis's dark eyes were filled with such sadness Gwen's heart broke all over again. "Gwen, what happened?"
"I don't know," Gwen responded. Ignoring Pilar's distrustful eyes as Luis pulled Sheridan up and into his arms. "She was cleaning out the closet...the toys...something fell...and the next thing I know, she's falling apart because one of the toys is missing."
Sheridan clung to Luis as he carried her out the door and toward their bedroom.
"Gwen," Pilar's voice was cold. "I think you should leave. Sheridan is upset, and it won't do her any good to have you here."
"Wait a minute," Hank interrupted. "You heard what she said, Pilar. It's not her fault. I love you as much as anyone. You're like family to me. But I think it's time you put the past in the past and move on. It's not Gwen's fault..."
"Hank," Gwen lay a calming hand on his arm. "Hank," her voice dropped to a whisper. "Pilar's right. I think it's time we go."
Hank opened his mouth in protest but quickly shut at the imploring look in her blue eyes.
"Tell her I'll call her as soon as she's feeling better," Gwen pleaded softly.
Pilar remained silent. Watching them with hooded dark eyes as they hurried from the old house by the sea and climbed into Hank's car.
Danielle's blue eyes narrowed as she watched them leave. Matthew by her side.
The gulls cried in the distance, and the waves' steady pounding of the shore was muted as the sounds of sadness surrounded them.
She squinted her eyes against the glinting sunlight and raised a hand to her brow to shade them as she gazed to Andrew's open window above.
Matthew stared at her oddly as she dropped his hand and shuddered.
Her heart was in her throat, making it impossible to breathe, when she saw it.
Him.
"Danielle? Are you okay?" Matthew tugged on her hand gently.
From the window, Andrew called silently to her, arms outstretched. Brown eyes sad.
She blinked her eyes, and the vision was gone.
"Danielle?"
"I'm fine," she lied with a lopsided smile.
Just fine.