She nodded again.
“Jessie says you and I need to go out to dinner soon and discuss how much overtime we owe her for yesterday and today. I think we should, don’t you?”
Karen smiled and nodded once more.
He brought her hand to his face, and then kissed it. “Thank you for my family, Karen.”
“Karen?” Amelia called from the guest room.
She was just emerging from the bathroom. A waft of steam drifted out the doorway after her. Karen wore her terry-cloth robe and had a towel wrapped around her head. She’d decided to shower before turning in, and was glad now that she had. It felt as if she’d washed away everything from the last twenty-four grueling hours.
Jessie had ducked into Karen’s dad’s bedroom for a catnap. She planned to go shopping in an hour so she could fix breakfast for everybody-bacon, eggs and waffles, the works.
Karen had thought she was the only one still awake in the house.
“Karen, is that you?” Amelia called softly.
The guest room door was ajar. Karen pushed it open and looked in on Amelia.
The shades were drawn, and the sound machine was on. Amelia sat up in bed, wearing one of Karen’s T- shirts. Her dark hair was in tangles from her shower twenty minutes before.
“Can’t you sleep?” Karen asked, padding into the room. She sat down on the edge of the bed.
“I was just lying here, thinking,” Amelia whispered over the sounds of waves and seagulls. “It’ll be nice to spend some time later today with Uncle George, and Jody and Steffie. Ever since Collin died, I haven’t been able to really look them in the eyes. As much as I tried and you tried, I couldn’t quite get over the feeling that I’d killed him. Now I know the truth. After so many months, it’ll be good to look my uncle and cousins in the eyes again.”
Karen reached over and smoothed back Amelia’s tangled hair.
Amelia glanced at a black onyx ring on the night table. Beside it was a worn, faded photo of two identical, dark-haired little girls in overalls. They were smiling and holding hands in the picture.
Amelia sighed. “I realize now what Annabelle went through, and how much she must have suffered.” She shrugged and shook her head. “But I–I can’t cry for her….”
Amelia wrapped her arms around Karen, then rested her head on her shoulder.
“It’s okay,” Karen said, holding her. She knew the tears would come later.
And she would be there to help her through it.
