I sit straight up in bed, my jaw going slack, staring at the closet where the phone rings again. Victor turns his head towards me. “What is that?” He asks, blinking sleepily.“Nothing,” I say hurriedly, pulling my feet out of the blankets and rushing to put them on the floor. “Go back to sleep.”Vi
“I was so sorry to hear about your little tragedy tonight,” the voice says, its tones mocking. Victor goes very still, still looking at Evelyn, wondering at the strangeness both of the call and her actions. What the hell was going on?“What do you mean?” Victor asks, wanting the voice to keep talkin
“Victor!” I cry, pounding down the stairs after him. He’s already at the back door, ready to pull it open and storm out. “Stop!”He turns on me then, and I can see that he’s working hard to keep a leash on his rage. I stop dead in my tracks, my eyes going wide, knowing very well that I should not p
“Go upstairs, boys,” I whisper to them. The room is so quiet that they have no trouble hearing me. “We’re…we’re talking.”“Mama,” Ian says, concerned, starting to take a few steps down the stairs towards me. In that moment, spurred by Ian’s tiny act of disobedience, Victor fully loses his grip.“GO
Victor flies down the highway in silence, his knuckles white as he grips the steering wheel.He can’t even engage with his emotions right now – he just feels so desperate and betrayed. So instead, he just drives. And drives. The mile markers fly by before Victor even really realizes where he’s goin
His head snaps in the direction of the word and the growl that was growing in him makes itself known. “You,” Victor snarls, glaring at Edgar, who stands with his hands out before him.“Please,” Edgar says softly, “I don’t know what it is, precisely, that you’re going through – but I come in peace.”
“Mama?” The boys come tottering down the stairs.Too soon, just…too soon.Still kneeling on the floor, I raise my shaking hands to my eyes, working to wipe away the tears, but they’re still coming.Shit, shit – no part of me wants my boys to see me cry, but I just can’t stop –Two little arms wrap a
“Mama,” Ian says carefully. “We know that this is not a trip.” Alvin nods next to him.I let my face fall and stare down at the floor. I love them, but god damnit, for one minute can my kids not be genius twins who see through my every lie? Can’t they just fall for it?“We don’t want to go,” Alvin s