“Stop it,Katie. I don’t want to hear any more,” I say, with my stomachclenching and my eyes beginning to water.
“Let me finish.It’s important.”
“The day shedied, my parents had just gifted each of us a pair of new skates.Abby was so happy that she was jumping up and down. She wanted totry them out on our back pond, but my father said that it was toowarm out and the ice would be thin. Abby and I waited until myfather left to run errands, and we approached my mother, who wasn’tas overprotective as my dad. Our plan worked. After only a fewminutes of us promising to stay on the thicker ice, she agreed thatwe could skate for a few minutes. She helped us do our skates up,and then Abby and I waddled out to the pond. I watched carefully,as Abby stepped onto the ice. She was giggling and trying not tofall. I skated along side her, holding her up until she couldbalance. We weren’t out there very long before my mother wasyelling out the back door for us to come in. When I turned toanswer my mom, Abby skated away from me.
I heard astrong cracking sound and yelled for Abby to stop. I looked towhere she was standing, near a wet spot in the center of the pond.She was so excited to be skating, she just kept moving around.Next, that horrible sound came again. It sounded like huge bonesbreaking, as I saw a line in the ice get bigger and head straightfor Abby. I tried to get to her - I did,” Katie is now crying sohard that it’s getting harder to understand her.
“Just beforeshe fell through the ice, our eyes met. She wasn’t scared, Jules. Icouldn’t believe it, but she wasn’t scared at all. In slow motion,the ice parted and swallowed her up. I fell to my knees then slidon my belly through the water to the hole. When I reached the edge,I hooked my fingers to the ice and pulled my face over the water.She wasn’t there. There was no sign of her. It was like I was aloneout there, and Abby had never been with me. I screamed as loud as Icould for my mother. When she realized what had happened, she ranthrough the snow in her stocking feet then skidded and slid towhere I was lying. My mother grabbed me and kept shaking me, ‘Whereis she? Where is Abby?’ But I couldn’t answer her. I didn’tknow.”
The pain in myheart causes me to push on my chest when I breathe. My sweet babysister. I should have fought harder for her to stay with me, but Iwas too young, and no one would listen. After my mom was killed andmy dad was incarcerated, we girls were orphaned. They found afoster home for Abby but not me. I was forced to live with myfather’s mother, who hadn’t wanted anything to do with us when wewere growing up.
“Jules, I’vealways felt like it was my fault Why couldn’t I have saved her? Ishould have held onto her more tightly. I didn’t, and now she’sgone forever.” She looks at me, her eyes blood red and starting toswell.
Crying while Ispeak, I tell her that she was only a couple of years older thanAbby, and there’s no way she should blame herself. It will onlydestroy her, and it won’t bring Abby back.
“That’s exactlyit, Jules. That’s why I brought this up. Nothing I can do or feelwill ever bring Abby back. It’s the same with you right now,wanting to fight and destroy Fournier. It won’t being your mom orAbby back, Jules. Your anger and vengeance will only put you indanger and consume your life. You have to let it go. You have to. Ihad to. Otherwise, two lives will’ve been lost that day on the ice.Abby loved you, and her life is over. You owe her and your mom tolive the best life you can. They don’t have that gift anymore butyou do. Don’t waste it,” she says falling forward and sobbing in myarms.
We sitembracing for a long while. Both of us crying and comforting eachother. Then, catching myself by surprise, I say the words I haven’tsaid in a long time, “I love you.”
She sniffs,stops crying and sits up and looks at me, “I love you too,Jules.”
Emotionallydrained, we walk with each other to my room and flop down on thebed, cuddling and spooning. At this moment, I feel so conflicted. Iunderstand and agree with everything Katie said. She was right. Thewhole eye-for-an-eye thing never works out well. Torn and confused,I hold her tightly while she drifts off to sleep.
It’s almostoneam when my cell rings. I quickly reach over Katie and hit muteon my phone. Slowly inching my way off the bed, being careful notto wake her, I take my cell to the living room and hit recentcallers. I don’t recognize the number. It’s local, I can tell bythe prefix, but I don’t know it. I walk to the edge of the livingroom, hit redial and cup my hand over my mouth and the phone. Itrings twice before I hear an older man’s voice answer. “Hello?”
“Yeah, you justcalled my number?” I whisper.
“Is thisJules?” The voice says.
“Yeah, why?Who’s this?”
“Slinky.”
I breathe out asigh of relief, “You’re ok?”
“I told you Iwould be,” he snickers.
“I saw you getinto Fournier’s Lincoln. I was scared for you, wondering what mayhappen.”
“Youunderestimate me. I’ve been in a lot of worse situations than that.I tell ya, I’m so good at getting out of impossible situations, Ishould wear a cape.”
At this, Ilaugh, “You’re that indestructible, are you, Slink?”
“Absolutely.”
“I’m gladyou’re ok. Listen, It’s late Slinky. Can we
