Lucy's eyes widened. So this was Claire. She did look about Simon's age.
She looked good for having recently given birth.
"Did Simon tell you?" A look of rage briefly flashed on Claire's face and then it was gone.
"No, Simon didn't tell me anything." Lucy paused. Maybe if Claire would tell her the truth, she could catch Simon in his lie. Telling him she had talked to Claire would definitely shut his mouth.
"Sit down. Tell me, what is it that Simon would have told me?"
Claire immediately looked uncomfortable. "I should go," she blurted out quickly. Lucy caught her arm before Claire could dash away.
"Wait a minute. It's okay; you can trust me. Besides, I think I already know."
Claire's eyes were wide. "You do? But how? I mean, if Simon really didn't tell you--,"
"I overheard some people talking about it while I was at the mall. They didn't see me there. I think they're in your class. They seemed to know what they were talking about."
Claire cringed. "What did they say?"
"That you and Simon had a baby together. That was the gist of it."
"No, that's not true at all," Claire protested, shaking her head. "Okay, before I tell you this, promise me you won't tell anyone." Lucy promised. "I did have a baby, but Simon wasn't the father. We were never together like that. In fact, we were never together in any way at all, he just had dinner with my family a couple of times."
Lucy was confused. "Okay, then how did he get involved?"
"Well. I knew he was one of Reverend Camden's kids, so I knew that I could trust him. I knew that he would help me."
"Help you how?"
"He picked up my baby from a phone booth and dropped her off at the hospital for me. I couldn't bring myself to do it, so I called him and told him to do it."
"Wow." That was all Lucy could think to say for a few minutes. She felt really guilty about what she had accused her brother of, especially since she had refused to listen to him. "Well, thanks for telling me."
Claire nodded. "You should be proud of your brother. He's a really great guy."
Lucy nodded, feeling more guilty by the second. "Listen, I'm sorry to run out on you like this, but I really should get back home." Lucy wanted to make sure she was there when Simon got home, so she could apologize and take back everything she had said. As she rushed home, she chastised herself for not listening to Simon. What a mess she'd made.
********************
Lucy stepped inside a dark, empty house wondering where everyone had gone to suddenly. She had been gone no longer than an hour and now no one was home.
Lucy turned on the lights to the living room and sat down on the couch, getting an eerie feeling from the silence. The Camden house was never quiet. It was almost a law of nature.
Lucy was quickly bored in the living room, so she headed to the kitchen for a snack. Before she'd decided on anything to eat, she heard the front door slam.
"Lucy!" came Kevin's frantic voice. In a panic, Lucy rushed out to the entry way to meet him. "Lucy, thank God, I've been looking for you everywhere!"
"Kevin, what's wrong? Why aren't you at the station?"
"Lucy, Simon was in a car accident." Lucy felt her blood run cold and she gripped Kevin's arms to give herself balance. "We have to get down to the hospital now, the rest of the family is already there."
"It's really bad, isn't it?" Lucy asked as Kevin lead her to his car. His silence was her answer.
"Did Simon tell you?" A look of rage briefly flashed on Claire's face and then it was gone.
"No, Simon didn't tell me anything." Lucy paused. Maybe if Claire would tell her the truth, she could catch Simon in his lie. Telling him she had talked to Claire would definitely shut his mouth.
"Sit down. Tell me, what is it that Simon would have told me?"
Claire immediately looked uncomfortable. "I should go," she blurted out quickly. Lucy caught her arm before Claire could dash away.
"Wait a minute. It's okay; you can trust me. Besides, I think I already know."
Claire's eyes were wide. "You do? But how? I mean, if Simon really didn't tell you--,"
"I overheard some people talking about it while I was at the mall. They didn't see me there. I think they're in your class. They seemed to know what they were talking about."
Claire cringed. "What did they say?"
"That you and Simon had a baby together. That was the gist of it."
"No, that's not true at all," Claire protested, shaking her head. "Okay, before I tell you this, promise me you won't tell anyone." Lucy promised. "I did have a baby, but Simon wasn't the father. We were never together like that. In fact, we were never together in any way at all, he just had dinner with my family a couple of times."
Lucy was confused. "Okay, then how did he get involved?"
"Well. I knew he was one of Reverend Camden's kids, so I knew that I could trust him. I knew that he would help me."
"Help you how?"
"He picked up my baby from a phone booth and dropped her off at the hospital for me. I couldn't bring myself to do it, so I called him and told him to do it."
"Wow." That was all Lucy could think to say for a few minutes. She felt really guilty about what she had accused her brother of, especially since she had refused to listen to him. "Well, thanks for telling me."
Claire nodded. "You should be proud of your brother. He's a really great guy."
Lucy nodded, feeling more guilty by the second. "Listen, I'm sorry to run out on you like this, but I really should get back home." Lucy wanted to make sure she was there when Simon got home, so she could apologize and take back everything she had said. As she rushed home, she chastised herself for not listening to Simon. What a mess she'd made.
********************
Lucy stepped inside a dark, empty house wondering where everyone had gone to suddenly. She had been gone no longer than an hour and now no one was home.
Lucy turned on the lights to the living room and sat down on the couch, getting an eerie feeling from the silence. The Camden house was never quiet. It was almost a law of nature.
Lucy was quickly bored in the living room, so she headed to the kitchen for a snack. Before she'd decided on anything to eat, she heard the front door slam.
"Lucy!" came Kevin's frantic voice. In a panic, Lucy rushed out to the entry way to meet him. "Lucy, thank God, I've been looking for you everywhere!"
"Kevin, what's wrong? Why aren't you at the station?"
"Lucy, Simon was in a car accident." Lucy felt her blood run cold and she gripped Kevin's arms to give herself balance. "We have to get down to the hospital now, the rest of the family is already there."
"It's really bad, isn't it?" Lucy asked as Kevin lead her to his car. His silence was her answer.