At that moment, Nora’s secretary came in with some coffee for everyone, so Christina had to release Nora’s hands which she was still holding, much to the other woman's relief. Once they were all seated and sipping from their cups of coffee, Christina continued where they left off. “I’m very much su
“Uh … I don’t think…” Nora began to demur, but Christina cut her off in that forceful way that she had. “Oh, come on, Nora. It’s just a drink. I want to get to know you better. If Jimmy and his brother take to each other, like I know they will, then there is every chance that my son, Dylan will hav
Sean finished rounded off his work for the day and got up from his chair in his large and tastefully furnished office. It had been a long day and he was just about ready for a much-needed shower, dinner, and sleep in that order. These past few days, he had been working overtime because there were s
"Your stepfather? I believe you once told me that he abused you and your sister.” Sean said carefully. It was a good thing that Austin was the one who brought up the subject himself. “Yes, he did. Our real father was absent from our lives. My earliest and only memory of him was when he used to take
The house seemed to be empty when he got there like no one was at home, but everywhere was a mess. Just being there gave Austin bad vibes. Even being in the town alone gave him bad vibes, and he shuddered as he sat in the living room, waiting for whoever was going to come back home first between his
"Janie? It's me, Austin. Your big brother. Don't worry. I'm here now and won't allow anything to happen to you, and neither will I allow anyone to hurt you ever again, okay?” He told her, but she only shrunk further away from him. A slow rage began to build inside of him, until, he was almost full
As expected, it was a tough task carrying Jane, frail though she was. Her injuries were quite grievous, and she cried pitifully every inch that he moved, breaking his heart, but this was a small price to pay for her life. As he turned to go out the door, he saw that his mother had followed him into
“Driving around in fancy cars now, are you? Well, I’ll have you know that you aren't the only one who’s got a car. I got myself a truck, and while you might not think much of it … oh, wait! Your fucking car’s a rental car.” He finished, bursting into loud, raucous laughter that almost made Austin wa
“You’re here again.” She states, rolling her eyes without so much as a good morning when she opens the door and sees me standing there. “Good morning to you too. Yes, I’m indeed here again. How are you doing?” I ask her, resolving not to let her hostility get to me. She has every reason to be hosti
I have not been to Nora's apartment for several months since Sally disappeared. In the first month of Sally's disappearance, I used to come here a lot, so much so that I’m sure that I must have begun to look like a desperate creep to Nora. Each time I came here back then, I would plead and plead wi
“No! I want to go with you and Aunt Sally!” He protests angrily when he sees the nanny and realizes that I’m about to leave him with her. “Honey, you must be very tired from running up and down with me these past few days. That is why I want your nanny to take you home so you can rest. Besides, you
SEAN Somehow, Sally allows herself to be convinced to come back home with me, which as even her doctor agrees, is the best decision for her right now because she needs all the help that she can get. We’ve finally been able to reach Nora and Austin, who have arrived at their honeymoon destination a
SALLY I can tell that Sean is surprised at my blunt tone and sharp words, but I couldn’t care less. I vaguely remember how I had pleaded with my boss to get in touch with him after she told me that she could not reach Nora and Austin no matter how many times she tried to reach them. I had been ter
The small bundle feels incredibly light as the nurse places it in my arms. Every single iota of sleep flees from my eyes as I hold and look down at my daughter. The nurse helps me adjust the baby in my arms while smiling at me in approval. Immense love for this tiny human floods my entire being and
I smile unsurely at the doctor, certain that I must have misheard what she just said. She doesn't smile back but instead continues to stare back at me with a measured look that says that she's not messing around. “I'm sorry but I'm not sure what you're talking about. What do you mean by expectant f
SEAN I have to admit that I am not thinking straight, but I'll blame that on the lack of sleep and the thought of seeing sadly again after all these months. Sally is lying on a bed in a very tiny room and she's being placed on oxygen. She looks so small and defenseless in the hospital bed. I appr
“There has been an emergency involving Sally and she's requesting for you.” A female voice had said over the phone mere seconds ago. “Is she OK? What's wrong with her? Where is she?” I ask in quick succession without waiting for an answer to each question. Taking deep breaths, I remind myself to be