Chapter 65: Bobby's Warning

I PLOPPED DOWN ON my bed, letting its softness comfort me. It was my safe place and the site of many conversations with Ruthie. We told each other everything here. And now we could add supernatural secrets to the list. Rubbing a hand along the yarn tied into the quilt, I thought of my mother making it. I realized she was wrapped up in the sense of security I felt here, making my bed like sacred ground to me. And as our lives had taken such an ominous turn, I drew strength from both the blanket and my best friend.

We batted around the implications of this mysterious cousin and where he or she could be. Perhaps the child had been adopted. Maybe the kid was dead. I hoped not. The upside was that I might not be the last hope for my family's gene pool. Maybe it wasn't all up to me.

Ruthie's phone cackled suddenly, startling both of us. It was the laugh of the wicked witch from The Wizard of Oz. I smiled and shook my head at Ruthie. Her mom was a lot cooler than she gave her credit for.