I wiped a tearthat escaped my eye and moaned as I sat up to reach for the pillbottle in my pocket. I popped some more pain meds and dumped thecontents of the plastic bag out on the bed in front of me. Thestrong stench of seawater and my own sweat wafted up to my face andmy heart tinged with pain. I smoothed the dirty, bloodstained jacket out and my fingertips ran over the fresh tear that rippedacross the left shoulder. Images of my last moment with Henryflashed through my mind like a movie brought to life on a screenbefore me.
Poor Charlie,my sweet boy. The life draining from his body as Maria let it fallto the forest floor by her feet. The sick and twisted look on herface as I choked on a scream. The light of the fire catching hersword as it swung toward me. And then… Henry’s face. The pain Iwitnessed sear across it as the threads of time claimed my body anddragged me away from him.
I cried then,finally. It all came out, crashing to the surface like a dam givingway to the years of pressure. I couldn’t stop it if I wanted to.Ugly, heavy sobs erupted from my insides as I continued to pickthrough the items on the bed.Trembling fingers brushed againstthe brown, blood-covered leather boots.
And then theclothing that Nathaniel had given me at The Thirsty Trout, whereHenry and I first made love. I carefully smoothed them out and laidthe garments over the jacket, only to find my necklace buriedunderneath. Smiling, I grabbed the gold chain, pulling it towardme, and held the large ruby tight to my chest. Henry’s raspy voicerang clear in my ears.
I love you,Dianna, he’d told me down in that cave, the very first timehe’d professed it.
I looped thenecklace around my head, letting it fall and rest on my chest as I leaned over and snuggled up tothe pile of clothing next to me. My hand gently rubbed my stomach,the sudden recollection that a little person was growing inside.Henry’s little person. I wanted to cry again but couldn’t find thestrength to do it. The effects ofthe pain meds were kicking in and my eyes threatened to close, so Iwrapped my fingers around the pendant and gave in to the heavinessof a deep sleep that washed down over me.
***
For the firsttime in forever, I’d dreamed of nothing. Not even darkness. Just…emptiness. An absence of everything, as if nothing ever existed.When the warmth of the morning sun soaked into my face, I awokewith the hope that the strangevoid was the end of a nightmare, that I could roll over and findHenry sleeping soundly next to me. My eyes had yet to open, scaredof what I’d find, but I felt the rustle of a body on the bed.
“Goodmorning,” Aunt Mary’s voice spoke, causing my heart to sink furtherinto the chasm of my chest. “Or should I say good afternoon?”
I rolled overand pried open one eye to find her sitting next to me, my bedroombright with a misplaced glow; the afternoon sun. A moan escaped mydry lips. “What time is it?”
“Twelve-thirty, dear,” she replied and stood. Icracked open both my lids and glanced down where she had sat, whereI’d laid out my clothing the night before. It was missing.
I boltedupright and pulled at the blanketsaround me. “Where is it?” I cried desperately. “Where iseverything?”
Mary leanedover and gently grabbed my hands, holding them tightly within herown, forcing me to calm and look at her face.
“Shh, Dianna,settle yourself,” she said. “Your things are fine. I came in thismorning and found you curled up with them.” I watched as she let mego and grabbed a neatly folded pile of items from the bedsidetable. “I washed everything the best I could and fixed the rip inthe jacket’s shoulder.” She cleared her throat as she stole aglance at the outrageously large ruby pendant hanging from my neck.“And I cleaned the boots up, too.”
Stunned, Iaccepted the fresh pile of clothes from her and hugged themtightly. “I’m sorry,” I told her,“I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
“I think Ido,” she replied, and my eyes widened. How could she possibly know?“You’ve clearly been through something life-changing. Whether itwas good or bad, that’s something I may never learn. But the shockis going to sit with you for a while, dear.”
I didn’t knowhow to respond so I just nodded.
“Can you tellme anything?” she asked. “Did someone take you?”
I shook myhead and fixated my gaze on the bed.
“Okay, did yougo meet someone? Are you in some kind of trouble?”
Another slightshake.
“Dianna, yougotta give me something,” Mary insisted, “I’m going crazy wonderingwhat could have possibly happened to you for over three weeks.Should I be worried? Should I get you some help?”
“No,” Imanaged. “I’ll be fine. I just need some time.” Time in Mom’soffice, I thought to myself.
“Very well.”Mary stood from the bed and straightened out her knitted cardigan.“I’m going to head over to the bakery in a bit, see how Samantha’sdoing. You should get yourself cleaned up and head over if you can. Say hi, see if she needsanything. I think she’d like to talk to you.”
“Aboutwhat?”
Mary tippedher head and shot me a look.
I inhaleddeeply. “Ah, she wants to buy it from me.”
“You shouldconsider it,” my aunt suggested. “You were thinking of selling it,anyway. This way, it’d stay in the family.”
The memory ofme telling Henry all about my parent’s bakery flashed across theback of my mind, and the hopeful look on his face when I wanted himto come back and run it with me. “I’ll think about it.”
“Good,” Maryreplied, “I’ll see you later, then. When you’re done at the bakery,come by the house for supper.”
I tried tohide my rolling eyes and cast
