[A/N. This chapter is a lot longer than I had intended, and I'm sorry.
Enjoy anyway, as I've only got the prologue to go after this.]
NINETEEN:
"Where are we going?" Holly asked, as I drove towards town.
"I want to go to the hotel, see whether anyone in particular has checked in there." I replied.
I swerved past a car which was going too slow, and Holly grabbed hold of the door. "Are you going to tell me who?" She asked.
"Marina, Billy's girlfriend." I replied shortly. "She was pretty upset about things at the hospital, pretty bitter. She was telling me about the accident, and she said it was my fault because they were arguing over me. And then when he spoke to me and not to her she said she hated me, she really hated me."
"Geez." Holly muttered. "But do you think she'd stoop this low?"
"It makes sense." I said, and we reached the town so I slowed down a fraction. "One of the things I remember was her saying she'd never have a husband and daughter now, which isn't entirely true, she can still get married. And let me tell you if she's got my daughter I'm going to kill her."
"Or you could let the police handle it." Holly said slowly. "Melody, if she's there, if she's got your daughter, think before you do anything. Think carefully. I've never seen you like this, so angry.."
"If it were Nelson you'd be the same." I assured her. "You don't realise things until you're a parent, but one of the most important things is not your own wellbeing, but your child's."
"Are you ever going to tell Cary about Lara?" Holly asked as I pulled up at the hotel and jumped out of the car.
"I don't know." I said, shrugging. I didn't want to think about that at the moment. "I guess one day I'll have to because one day Lara will need to know who she is."
We hurried into the hotel, and to the desk. "I need to see the register." I cried.
"I beg your pardon?" The hotel clerk looked at me like I was crazy. The truth was I probably did look kind of crazy, my hair all messed and my eyes wide.
"I need to see the register. There's a woman she could be here and we think she's taken my baby." I explained, but my explanation didn't do anything for the clerk.
"Sorry Madam, but that's not permitted. Privacy and all that." He said, glancing at Holly who was standing beside me.
"Come on Melody, we can ca-" Holly began taking my hand, but I shrugged it off and leant over the desk.
"Listen to me you prick, if that bitch has taken my baby-" I yelled and he backed away.
"I'm going to call the police." He said.
"Please do." Holly muttered. "Melody, come on, we'll sit over here and wait for the police."
Giving the hotel clerk a dirty look I allowed her to help me over to sit down.
*****
"I'm sorry Mrs. Logan, but we've checked in every room. She's not here, and your baby isn't here either." The police officer who had responded to the call said to me softly.
I slumped in the seat feeling sick. I'd been so sure of it or else I wouldn't have rushed off and left Cary alone. And now that I knew there was nothing, and I felt empty.
"Come on Melody, let's get back to Sara's." Holly said gently, and I nodded mutely. Would I ever see my beloved daughter again? We walked out to the car just as the heavens opened and the rain fell. I stood there for a moment, not caring about the rain until Holly's voice broke into my trance.
"Melody, come on." She called.
I hurried over to the car, refusing Holly's offers to drive. We got in and started back towards Sara's. "Holly, do you remember what the cards said when you read them for me a few months back?" I asked her.
Holly's eyes widened. "Lara. It was about Lara wasn't it?"
"Do you think maybe the cards, or your crystal ball would help us find her?" I asked.
Holly looked thoughtful. "I don't know, maybe. But we better not tell Kenneth or Cary." She said. "I guess anything's worth a try."
I made a turn which would take me towards her place and as we drove along I noticed my real father's car parked in front of his office, as well as Adam's and shook my head. "Adam's back from his honeymoon already?" I asked making conversation but not really caring.
"Francine was sick apparently. I heard about it in town." Holly said with a shrug. "I don't know maybe it was something more like they weren't enjoying it."
I raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps. I feel sorry for her."
"I don't know," Holly said with a sigh. "I mean she did chose to marry him didn't she? Surely she must have realised he wasn't in love with her? Personally I think it's something along the lines of him being in love with someone else."
I felt my heart skip a beat. "What?" I asked.
"That's just the impression I get, that Adam Jackson is carrying one huge torch for someone else." Holly explained.
I didn't comment. Holly didn't know about Adam and I, and especially about his continuing feelings for me, but nonetheless her comments rocked me. And I thought about the wedding and what Adam had said to me: "Lara could have been ours. She's a cute baby. I think I might pretend that secretly she's mine."
I braked suddenly, the breaks squealing in protest, and the tyres screeching on the road as I turned around and headed back towards town.
"For gods sake Melody!" Holly cried. "Where are you going?"
"I've worked it out." I replied. "Marina was just a distraction, this time I know for sure. Call it mother's instinct."
"Okay, who has her?" Holly asked, giving me the impression she was simply humoring me.
"Adam Jackson." I said firmly.
"ADAM?" Holly cried. "Why on earth would Adam have Lara?"
As I drove I related the entire story of the relationship, or lack of it, between Adam and myself and Holly's eyes grew wide.
"God! I'm surprised you haven't said something before." Holly said, shaking her head. "He's seriously screwed up."
"You're telling me." I said softly.
We drove towards the Jackson's house in grim silence, both of us in our own world. I couldn't believe that it hadn't been obvious from the very start after the way Adam had acted in the past, and then more recently his comment at the wedding. We pulled up in front of the Jackson house. "Can you wait here? If I don't come back out in ten minutes can you please call the police? Take my car if you have to." I said, as I got out.
"Are you sure you don't want me to come in?" Holly offered, but I shook my head. This was something I had to do myself. I straightened up and hurried up the walkway, ignoring the rain still falling fairly heavily. As I raced up something caught my eye and I looked up. Someone ducked away from the window behind the curtain and I smiled grimly. At least my appearance hadn't gone unnoticed. I banged on the doorway and it was a few minutes before it was opened by one of the maids, a small Latino woman. "Yes?" She asked curtly.
"I want to see Adam, or Francine." I said.
"Francine sick, Adam busy, sorry." She said, starting to close the door but I stuck my foot in the way and it wouldn't close.
"I don't think you understand. I want to see them. NOW!" I snapped.
She looked taken aback by my reaction. "But they say no. They say no let her in." She said in broken English.
I frowned. "Me? Not to let me in? Sorry, I don't want to get you into trouble, but I'm coming in." I said firmly, and I pushed the door open. The small woman backed away from me, looking scared.
"Where are they?" I asked.
"Upstairs." She whispered.
"Thank you." I said giving her a brief smile. It wasn't her fault she'd been told not to let me in. I started up the red carpeted staircase determined.
"I'm sorry, but you're not welcome in this house." Francine said, and she appeared at the top of the stairs. She was dressed neatly in slacks and a blouse and she was staring at me almost with hate.
"Really?" I asked, continuing up. "You don't look too sick."
"Sick?" She looked confused.
"That's why you came back from your honeymoon wasn't it? You were sick?" I asked, as I reached the top.
"I am, but I'm getting better." Francine replied. "Don't take a step further."
"Or what?" I asked.
"Please don't do this." She said, and all of a sudden she looked weak and scared, and not as though she hated me. "Please."
"Where's Lara?" I asked firmly.
"I don't know what you're talking about." She said, but she didn't look me in the eyes.
"Where's Adam?" I asked, beginning to get annoyed.
"He's busy." She said slowly.
"Don't make me do something I'll regret." I threatened her.
"I..you don't know what he's like." Francine said. "I always thought he loved me, and when we got married things would get better, but do you know what? He doesn't even sleep in the same room as me. He sleeps in his own room, and tells people it's because he snores and doesn't want to disturb me all night. And do you know what? In his room he keeps a photo of you in his top draw and he takes it out at night."
I shook my head. "I'm sorry." I said, and I was, but at that moment I didn't care so much. All I wanted was my daughter. "But please Francine, do what you know is right."
Francine sighed and turned and pointed towards the right. "Third room on the left." She said, and then she turned and walked the other way before I could even thank her.
I didn't knock, just barged into the room. Adam must have assumed I was Francine because he didn't turn around. "Did you get rid of her? Thank god, and did you ask the maid to get more diapers?" He asked.
"No on both counts." I said, and he turned around in a flash.
"Melody!" He cried.
"Adam." I mimicked.
"How are you?" He asked, glancing behind him.
"Better now. What are you doing with her Adam?" I asked.
"Doing with who?" He asked.
"Move." I snapped, and I started to go past him, but he grabbed my arm and squeezed it.
"I don't believe you were invited into this house." He said coldly.
"I don't care. I'd let me take Lara, or Holly will go for the police any moment." I said.
He didn't say anything, nor did he move. He just stood there staring at me and I began to feel uncomfortable. "Adam, please, just give me Lara and nothing will come of this." I begged.
"Do you have any idea how much I love you?" Adam demanded, ignoring my question.
"Adam we can't be together, and you know it. It would be wrong. Taking my child is not going to achieve anything is it?" I asked.
"It brought you here didn't it?" Adam argued, with a smirk on his face which I itched to slap off.
"Can I please just see her?" I asked, not sure what to do or say, but knowing I had to see her.
He stepped out of the way and there was Lara. She was lying on the bed gurgling to herself, and I cried out involuntarily and she looked up. Even though she was only a baby I knew she recognised me because a smile lit up her face. "Lara, baby." I said, and I went to pick her up, but Adam grabbed my arm again.
"I said you could see her I didn't say you could touch her." He snapped, and I glared at him.
"This is illegal Adam, she's my baby and I'm taking her home." I snapped back, now beginning to lose my temper with the whole thing.
"You're not going anywhere." Adam said smoothly.
"This is ridiculous." I said shaking my head. "Are you insane?"
"If I am it's because of you. You drive me insane Melody. I know you wanted me once, and now you can have me and you don't want me." Adam shook his head. "You're nothing but a tease."
"For god's sake!" I yelled. "Get a grip Adam, we're related. That would be incest."
"I told you we could go away, and nobody would ever know we were related." He argued.
"It's not possible Adam, sorry." I said. "Just let me take Lara."
"Not before I get what I've been wanting for a long time." Adam said and he gazed down at my body. Even in my jeans and sweater I felt overexposed. I crossed my arms across my chest.
"Adam that's not going to happen." I said, hoping my voice didn't convey my concern. "For god's sake you're married, I'm married, we're related, and your wife's just down the hall."
"Wife." Adam spat. "I married her because I was being pressured to marry. She's a nice girl, does her duty by me when I require it, but no more. She's not like you. You've got fire and passion." His grip tightened on my arm and I knew it was going to leave bruises, but I didn't want him to know how scared I was.
"Adam, Holly's probably on her way to get the police right now." I warned, but he didn't seem to care.
"I love you." He said, and he bent his mouth down and crushed his lips on me before I could protest. With my free hand I beat at him angrily. With his free hand he tried to undo my jeans, and I squirmed. I was beginning to have trouble breathing because he wasn't letting me breath.
"ADAM!" Someone yelled and Adam broke away from me. My real father was standing in the doorway in horror. I moved as far away from Adam as possible and wiped at my mouth.
"Dad, what are you doing at home?" Adam asked.
"It's my house." Mr. Jackson snapped. "I should be asking you what you're doing. No wonder you kept me out of this wing the last two days."
"How did you know?" Adam asked, looking defeated.
"It doesn't matter how I knew." Mr. Jackson said, and he glanced at me. I knew then Francine had gone and rang him and he'd come racing back. "What matters is you've just abducted a child, attempted to rape a woman.." He trailed off not sure what to say. I took the opportunity to grab Lara and hold her tightly to me.
"Melody, are you all right?" Mr. Jackson asked me and I nodded.
"If you don't press charges I promise this will be dealt with." Mr. Jackson said, and I hesitated. Part of me wanted to see Adam pay for this, but the other part of me had already been through enough in just that day to last me a lifetime. Sensing my indecision Mr. Jackson pressed his advantage. "We can make up a story, and Holly will surely agree. She was just about to leave when I returned home. Perhaps we could say I found Lara abandoned somewhere and gave her back to you. I know it's flimsy but the police aren't going to disbelieve me."
I sighed and glanced over at Adam. His head was drooped, and he was staring at the carpet, not looking anything like his usual handsome self. "I'll agree to that on one condition." I said.
Mr. Jackson nodded. "Anything."
"You promise me this time Adam really won't come anywhere near me ever again. I don't want him within a mile of me, or my baby." I said coldly.
Mr. Jackson looked over at Adam and nodded. "I swear." He promised me and I nodded now.
"I want to get Lara back to her family." I said. And then I rushed out of the room without another word, and behind me I heard Mr. Jackson yelling at Adam. As I was on my way down the stairs I sensed someone looking at me and I turned around. Francine was standing there.
"Thank you." I said. "If you ever have children you'll understand how I felt."
She simply nodded and I hurried from the house. I let Holly drive back to Aunt Sara's because I didn't want to let go of Lara. I felt as though I was never going to let go of her again. Needless to say everyone back at Aunt Sara's was delighted to see Lara again, even if they may have been skeptical about the story Mr. Jackson and I had decided on.
NINETEEN:
"Where are we going?" Holly asked, as I drove towards town.
"I want to go to the hotel, see whether anyone in particular has checked in there." I replied.
I swerved past a car which was going too slow, and Holly grabbed hold of the door. "Are you going to tell me who?" She asked.
"Marina, Billy's girlfriend." I replied shortly. "She was pretty upset about things at the hospital, pretty bitter. She was telling me about the accident, and she said it was my fault because they were arguing over me. And then when he spoke to me and not to her she said she hated me, she really hated me."
"Geez." Holly muttered. "But do you think she'd stoop this low?"
"It makes sense." I said, and we reached the town so I slowed down a fraction. "One of the things I remember was her saying she'd never have a husband and daughter now, which isn't entirely true, she can still get married. And let me tell you if she's got my daughter I'm going to kill her."
"Or you could let the police handle it." Holly said slowly. "Melody, if she's there, if she's got your daughter, think before you do anything. Think carefully. I've never seen you like this, so angry.."
"If it were Nelson you'd be the same." I assured her. "You don't realise things until you're a parent, but one of the most important things is not your own wellbeing, but your child's."
"Are you ever going to tell Cary about Lara?" Holly asked as I pulled up at the hotel and jumped out of the car.
"I don't know." I said, shrugging. I didn't want to think about that at the moment. "I guess one day I'll have to because one day Lara will need to know who she is."
We hurried into the hotel, and to the desk. "I need to see the register." I cried.
"I beg your pardon?" The hotel clerk looked at me like I was crazy. The truth was I probably did look kind of crazy, my hair all messed and my eyes wide.
"I need to see the register. There's a woman she could be here and we think she's taken my baby." I explained, but my explanation didn't do anything for the clerk.
"Sorry Madam, but that's not permitted. Privacy and all that." He said, glancing at Holly who was standing beside me.
"Come on Melody, we can ca-" Holly began taking my hand, but I shrugged it off and leant over the desk.
"Listen to me you prick, if that bitch has taken my baby-" I yelled and he backed away.
"I'm going to call the police." He said.
"Please do." Holly muttered. "Melody, come on, we'll sit over here and wait for the police."
Giving the hotel clerk a dirty look I allowed her to help me over to sit down.
*****
"I'm sorry Mrs. Logan, but we've checked in every room. She's not here, and your baby isn't here either." The police officer who had responded to the call said to me softly.
I slumped in the seat feeling sick. I'd been so sure of it or else I wouldn't have rushed off and left Cary alone. And now that I knew there was nothing, and I felt empty.
"Come on Melody, let's get back to Sara's." Holly said gently, and I nodded mutely. Would I ever see my beloved daughter again? We walked out to the car just as the heavens opened and the rain fell. I stood there for a moment, not caring about the rain until Holly's voice broke into my trance.
"Melody, come on." She called.
I hurried over to the car, refusing Holly's offers to drive. We got in and started back towards Sara's. "Holly, do you remember what the cards said when you read them for me a few months back?" I asked her.
Holly's eyes widened. "Lara. It was about Lara wasn't it?"
"Do you think maybe the cards, or your crystal ball would help us find her?" I asked.
Holly looked thoughtful. "I don't know, maybe. But we better not tell Kenneth or Cary." She said. "I guess anything's worth a try."
I made a turn which would take me towards her place and as we drove along I noticed my real father's car parked in front of his office, as well as Adam's and shook my head. "Adam's back from his honeymoon already?" I asked making conversation but not really caring.
"Francine was sick apparently. I heard about it in town." Holly said with a shrug. "I don't know maybe it was something more like they weren't enjoying it."
I raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps. I feel sorry for her."
"I don't know," Holly said with a sigh. "I mean she did chose to marry him didn't she? Surely she must have realised he wasn't in love with her? Personally I think it's something along the lines of him being in love with someone else."
I felt my heart skip a beat. "What?" I asked.
"That's just the impression I get, that Adam Jackson is carrying one huge torch for someone else." Holly explained.
I didn't comment. Holly didn't know about Adam and I, and especially about his continuing feelings for me, but nonetheless her comments rocked me. And I thought about the wedding and what Adam had said to me: "Lara could have been ours. She's a cute baby. I think I might pretend that secretly she's mine."
I braked suddenly, the breaks squealing in protest, and the tyres screeching on the road as I turned around and headed back towards town.
"For gods sake Melody!" Holly cried. "Where are you going?"
"I've worked it out." I replied. "Marina was just a distraction, this time I know for sure. Call it mother's instinct."
"Okay, who has her?" Holly asked, giving me the impression she was simply humoring me.
"Adam Jackson." I said firmly.
"ADAM?" Holly cried. "Why on earth would Adam have Lara?"
As I drove I related the entire story of the relationship, or lack of it, between Adam and myself and Holly's eyes grew wide.
"God! I'm surprised you haven't said something before." Holly said, shaking her head. "He's seriously screwed up."
"You're telling me." I said softly.
We drove towards the Jackson's house in grim silence, both of us in our own world. I couldn't believe that it hadn't been obvious from the very start after the way Adam had acted in the past, and then more recently his comment at the wedding. We pulled up in front of the Jackson house. "Can you wait here? If I don't come back out in ten minutes can you please call the police? Take my car if you have to." I said, as I got out.
"Are you sure you don't want me to come in?" Holly offered, but I shook my head. This was something I had to do myself. I straightened up and hurried up the walkway, ignoring the rain still falling fairly heavily. As I raced up something caught my eye and I looked up. Someone ducked away from the window behind the curtain and I smiled grimly. At least my appearance hadn't gone unnoticed. I banged on the doorway and it was a few minutes before it was opened by one of the maids, a small Latino woman. "Yes?" She asked curtly.
"I want to see Adam, or Francine." I said.
"Francine sick, Adam busy, sorry." She said, starting to close the door but I stuck my foot in the way and it wouldn't close.
"I don't think you understand. I want to see them. NOW!" I snapped.
She looked taken aback by my reaction. "But they say no. They say no let her in." She said in broken English.
I frowned. "Me? Not to let me in? Sorry, I don't want to get you into trouble, but I'm coming in." I said firmly, and I pushed the door open. The small woman backed away from me, looking scared.
"Where are they?" I asked.
"Upstairs." She whispered.
"Thank you." I said giving her a brief smile. It wasn't her fault she'd been told not to let me in. I started up the red carpeted staircase determined.
"I'm sorry, but you're not welcome in this house." Francine said, and she appeared at the top of the stairs. She was dressed neatly in slacks and a blouse and she was staring at me almost with hate.
"Really?" I asked, continuing up. "You don't look too sick."
"Sick?" She looked confused.
"That's why you came back from your honeymoon wasn't it? You were sick?" I asked, as I reached the top.
"I am, but I'm getting better." Francine replied. "Don't take a step further."
"Or what?" I asked.
"Please don't do this." She said, and all of a sudden she looked weak and scared, and not as though she hated me. "Please."
"Where's Lara?" I asked firmly.
"I don't know what you're talking about." She said, but she didn't look me in the eyes.
"Where's Adam?" I asked, beginning to get annoyed.
"He's busy." She said slowly.
"Don't make me do something I'll regret." I threatened her.
"I..you don't know what he's like." Francine said. "I always thought he loved me, and when we got married things would get better, but do you know what? He doesn't even sleep in the same room as me. He sleeps in his own room, and tells people it's because he snores and doesn't want to disturb me all night. And do you know what? In his room he keeps a photo of you in his top draw and he takes it out at night."
I shook my head. "I'm sorry." I said, and I was, but at that moment I didn't care so much. All I wanted was my daughter. "But please Francine, do what you know is right."
Francine sighed and turned and pointed towards the right. "Third room on the left." She said, and then she turned and walked the other way before I could even thank her.
I didn't knock, just barged into the room. Adam must have assumed I was Francine because he didn't turn around. "Did you get rid of her? Thank god, and did you ask the maid to get more diapers?" He asked.
"No on both counts." I said, and he turned around in a flash.
"Melody!" He cried.
"Adam." I mimicked.
"How are you?" He asked, glancing behind him.
"Better now. What are you doing with her Adam?" I asked.
"Doing with who?" He asked.
"Move." I snapped, and I started to go past him, but he grabbed my arm and squeezed it.
"I don't believe you were invited into this house." He said coldly.
"I don't care. I'd let me take Lara, or Holly will go for the police any moment." I said.
He didn't say anything, nor did he move. He just stood there staring at me and I began to feel uncomfortable. "Adam, please, just give me Lara and nothing will come of this." I begged.
"Do you have any idea how much I love you?" Adam demanded, ignoring my question.
"Adam we can't be together, and you know it. It would be wrong. Taking my child is not going to achieve anything is it?" I asked.
"It brought you here didn't it?" Adam argued, with a smirk on his face which I itched to slap off.
"Can I please just see her?" I asked, not sure what to do or say, but knowing I had to see her.
He stepped out of the way and there was Lara. She was lying on the bed gurgling to herself, and I cried out involuntarily and she looked up. Even though she was only a baby I knew she recognised me because a smile lit up her face. "Lara, baby." I said, and I went to pick her up, but Adam grabbed my arm again.
"I said you could see her I didn't say you could touch her." He snapped, and I glared at him.
"This is illegal Adam, she's my baby and I'm taking her home." I snapped back, now beginning to lose my temper with the whole thing.
"You're not going anywhere." Adam said smoothly.
"This is ridiculous." I said shaking my head. "Are you insane?"
"If I am it's because of you. You drive me insane Melody. I know you wanted me once, and now you can have me and you don't want me." Adam shook his head. "You're nothing but a tease."
"For god's sake!" I yelled. "Get a grip Adam, we're related. That would be incest."
"I told you we could go away, and nobody would ever know we were related." He argued.
"It's not possible Adam, sorry." I said. "Just let me take Lara."
"Not before I get what I've been wanting for a long time." Adam said and he gazed down at my body. Even in my jeans and sweater I felt overexposed. I crossed my arms across my chest.
"Adam that's not going to happen." I said, hoping my voice didn't convey my concern. "For god's sake you're married, I'm married, we're related, and your wife's just down the hall."
"Wife." Adam spat. "I married her because I was being pressured to marry. She's a nice girl, does her duty by me when I require it, but no more. She's not like you. You've got fire and passion." His grip tightened on my arm and I knew it was going to leave bruises, but I didn't want him to know how scared I was.
"Adam, Holly's probably on her way to get the police right now." I warned, but he didn't seem to care.
"I love you." He said, and he bent his mouth down and crushed his lips on me before I could protest. With my free hand I beat at him angrily. With his free hand he tried to undo my jeans, and I squirmed. I was beginning to have trouble breathing because he wasn't letting me breath.
"ADAM!" Someone yelled and Adam broke away from me. My real father was standing in the doorway in horror. I moved as far away from Adam as possible and wiped at my mouth.
"Dad, what are you doing at home?" Adam asked.
"It's my house." Mr. Jackson snapped. "I should be asking you what you're doing. No wonder you kept me out of this wing the last two days."
"How did you know?" Adam asked, looking defeated.
"It doesn't matter how I knew." Mr. Jackson said, and he glanced at me. I knew then Francine had gone and rang him and he'd come racing back. "What matters is you've just abducted a child, attempted to rape a woman.." He trailed off not sure what to say. I took the opportunity to grab Lara and hold her tightly to me.
"Melody, are you all right?" Mr. Jackson asked me and I nodded.
"If you don't press charges I promise this will be dealt with." Mr. Jackson said, and I hesitated. Part of me wanted to see Adam pay for this, but the other part of me had already been through enough in just that day to last me a lifetime. Sensing my indecision Mr. Jackson pressed his advantage. "We can make up a story, and Holly will surely agree. She was just about to leave when I returned home. Perhaps we could say I found Lara abandoned somewhere and gave her back to you. I know it's flimsy but the police aren't going to disbelieve me."
I sighed and glanced over at Adam. His head was drooped, and he was staring at the carpet, not looking anything like his usual handsome self. "I'll agree to that on one condition." I said.
Mr. Jackson nodded. "Anything."
"You promise me this time Adam really won't come anywhere near me ever again. I don't want him within a mile of me, or my baby." I said coldly.
Mr. Jackson looked over at Adam and nodded. "I swear." He promised me and I nodded now.
"I want to get Lara back to her family." I said. And then I rushed out of the room without another word, and behind me I heard Mr. Jackson yelling at Adam. As I was on my way down the stairs I sensed someone looking at me and I turned around. Francine was standing there.
"Thank you." I said. "If you ever have children you'll understand how I felt."
She simply nodded and I hurried from the house. I let Holly drive back to Aunt Sara's because I didn't want to let go of Lara. I felt as though I was never going to let go of her again. Needless to say everyone back at Aunt Sara's was delighted to see Lara again, even if they may have been skeptical about the story Mr. Jackson and I had decided on.
