“What does he do?” said Lisa.
“He said he’s a personal assistant for some big fancy business executive,” said Molly. “He’s very successful. Did you see his clothes? He looked gorgeous in that suit. It makes you wonder what he sees in me, but you know what they say: love is blind.”
“It can’t be blind to everything,” said Lisa. She forgot about Graham and thought about her father. It was difficult to imagine him committing murder, but a variety of dreadful images popped into her mind. “There are some things you can’t ignore. It’s not enough to love the idea of a person if that person doesn’t actually exist. There has to be something more, or it doesn’t work.”
Molly’s smile faded.
“Have you ever been in love?” she said.
“Of course not,” said Lisa. “I’m too busy with school.”
“But there must be plenty of nice boys in your class,” said Molly.
“High school romances are completely pointless,” said Lisa. “They always end badly. They’re just a waste of time. Besides, my parents think it’s stupid, and they want me to focus on my grades.”
“But what do you want?” said Molly.
“It doesn’t matter what I want,” said Lisa. She wished Molly would stop questioning her. The lump in her throat prevented her from speaking. The comfort she had hoped to find at Molly’s house was nothing but a cruel illusion, and for the first time in her life, she felt completely alone. She thought about her grandmother’s wrinkled face and her eyes filled with tears.
“Oh, please don’t be upset,” said Molly, flinging her arms around Lisa and almost smothering her with an impulsive hug. “Lisa, you don’t have to be perfect to be loved. Trust me: if there’s anyone who knows about failure, it’s me, but I’ve finally found a man who sees the good in me, and it’s magical.”
“But are you sure it’s real?” said Lisa.
“Of course it’s real,” said Molly. “When I look at him, everything makes sense. Don’t worry, Lisa. It won’t be long before someone sweeps you off your feet and steals your heart. You just have to be patient.”
“What if I can’t?” said Lisa.
“Then I’m terribly sorry for you,” said Molly. “The world is dreary when you forget about your dreams and stop using your imagination.”
Lisa couldn’t bear to listen to her anymore. Molly was a liar. Fantasy only made things better when nothing was actually wrong. Otherwise, it was worthless. Before Molly could stop her, she hurried outside. She didn’t exactly slam the door, but she allowed a gust of wind to catch it and fling it shut with a violence that shook the house.
Chapter 2
Lisa’s parents accepted Graham’s invitation, and three days later, Lisa found herself standing outside her house with her little sister Veronica, waiting for her parents to finish getting ready. The thought of spending time with her father was excruciating, now that she knew what he had done. To make matters worse, she was embarrassed about her sudden departure from Molly’s house, and she didn’t relish the idea of seeing Graham again.
“This should be fun,” said Veronica, who liked the peculiar atmosphere of Molly’s house. She was especially fond of the garden, which was littered with an abundance of junk, including an old rowboat full of bricks and a rusty seesaw shaped like an alligator. Even though Veronica was twelve years old, she pretended to believe the garden gnomes came to life at night. She often made up stories about their antics, some of which were so sinister that Lisa occasionally wondered if there was something wrong with her.
“I think Mom is feeling better,” said Veronica. “She finally got rid of the flowers earlier today, so you won’t have to sneak around and water them anymore.”
“I wasn’t sneaking around,” said Lisa. “We’re going to be late. I wish Mom and Dad would hurry up. It’s freezing out here.”
“Why are you in such a bad mood?” said Veronica.
“I’m not,” said Lisa with more irritation than she intended. If Veronica got suspicious, she wouldn’t stop until she discovered the truth. She decided to change the subject. “I’m just not looking forward to school starting up again in a few days.”
“Really?” said Veronica. “Don’t you miss your friends?”
“Sort of,” said Lisa. In reality, she wasn’t enjoying her junior year. Her classes were so challenging that her social life had suffered, and Veronica’s innocent question hurt her more than she expected. Veronica’s ability to fit in wherever she went was something Lisa had always envied. She allowed a hint of contempt to enter her voice. “There’s more to life than going to the movies and hanging out at the mall.”
Veronica ignored her. Lisa regretted her outburst, but she hated being reminded about Veronica’s carefree existence when her own life was so overwhelming. She couldn’t understand why her parents held her to such a high standard. They didn’t object when Veronica broke the rules. It wasn’t fair.
As she pondered the situation, her mother emerged from the house. She was a pretty woman with a gentle face, but grief had aged her beyond her years, and the persistent redness in her eyes revealed her pain. She smiled when she saw Lisa, but there was no joy in her face.
“Where’s Dad?” said Lisa.
“He’s on the phone,” said her mother. “I don’t know who he’s talking to, but it’s probably someone from the hospital. You know how much he likes to be available for his patients. I tried to get his attention, but he ignored me, like he always does. He’ll catch up with us eventually. Let’s go.”
“But we can’t leave without him,” said Lisa. “Molly will ask questions, and it will be awkward.” The last thing she wanted was for Graham to develop an unhealthy sense of curiosity about her family, which perhaps he
