I smile, “We don’t calm each other at all, Mom.”
“That’s why I’ve been so worried for you since this happened. I know you’re hiding the fact that you’re scared again, of losing her.”
I blink and try to hold it together. Nothing truer has ever been said to me. “What if they charge her with murder? What if she has to go to jail?”
“We have to wait and see, but I don’t think a jury would convict her, do you?”
“How could they?”
“You know what they do to pedophiles in prison, right?”
“They kill them. We all know that.”
“The jurors have children, or nieces and nephews, and I have to believe they will be on her side. We’ve got the money for lawyers. Even though you can’t tell it from the condition of our house,” Mom glances to the beaten-up plantation we keep that way in honor of the time when it was used for terrible things, long before the Ciphers took over the mortgage. “We have plenty, even with all the groceries we buy.”
“And we don’t do a lot of clothes shopping, that’s for sure.”
Mom slides a loving hand down her gas tank. “We all like to wear what we wear. The latest fashions don’t matter.”
“Give me some jeans and my tank tops,” I hit my heel against the pavement, “plus these boots, and I’m happy. But why did you say, She was meant to be here?”
There’s a look people get when they realize they’ve said something they shouldn’t have. “She was meant to be born here, that’s all I mean.”
“And I wasn’t?”
“You were.”
“It’s just an odd way to put it.”
“You’re reading too much into it.” Sighing, Mom runs a hand through her long hair, the silver streaks glittering under the bright lights we use to repair bikes. “Just because you’re so sharp doesn’t mean you know everything.”
“I’ll take that compliment, thank you.”
She hits the switch launching us into darkness to tell me the subject is closed. But I don’t think it is.
We walk back to the house with me deep in thought.
I know that Celia was born here.
What did Mom mean by that?
Knew she was meant to be here…
As opposed to, what?
“Were Tonk and Carmen going to stay in Montana or something?” I ask and the house’s porch light illuminates her profile. “Was there a chance they wouldn’t live in the Louisiana house?”
Mom looks over at me. “What? No. They were always here. Just drop what you think you heard. You’re just searching for something to focus on because you’re upset.” She looks over to make sure I’m dropping it. “Sofia?”
“I’m letting it go.”
“There’s nothing to let go of.”
“Exactly.” I throw my hands up. “See. Dropped. Don’t even know what you’re talking about.”
Mom smirks, “That part right there? That’s your father.”
I grin, shaking out my hair as I picture all the times his sense of humor has made me laugh. “Yeah, I get it from him. Almost all my cousins on his side have our sense of humor, too. We fuck with each other all the time.”
Mom’s eyes lose their light. “Well, you have no family on my side, so…why even mention ‘his side.’”
I grab her arm and stop just short of hearing distance from the house. Her face just broke my heart. “Mom, I know so few of the details about your childhood because you refuse to tell me. But I want these ghosts you carry around to stop haunting you. Two huge families love you now. You’re not alone anymore. The past is gone!”
Luna Cocker, more of a badass than I’ll probably ever be, gazes into my eyes like she’s proud of me. Touching my face her warm palm flattens against my cheek. “You’re right. Sometimes I forget that. But I never forget that I have you and Jett. You’re my miracle baby—you’re special, you understand that, Sofia Sol? You were sent to me, and I love you more than I know how to show.”
Speechless I watch her walk away.
CHAPTER 11
L UKE
Soph runs down the driveway as we return home, and it’s a sight to see. I secretly used to love watching her run. Now it just makes me grind my teeth.
Can’t admire my brother’s girl, not the way I admire Sofia Sol.
We dismount our motorcycles far away from the house, choosing to walk up and meet her halfway so we can get the police station’s tension out of our systems.
I keep my eyes on Jett.
Celia rode on the back of his hog, rather than taking her own. He asked her to, to make her feel safe. I saw how much that meant to her. We all look up to our President. He’s our leader and we give him the respect he’s earned.
And now I’m wondering how he’s going to treat his daughter.
“What happened?” Sofia demands.
Jett stashes keys in his pocket, eyes on her as he answers, “The police aren’t on a witch hunt for the Ciphers, that’s what happened.”
Atlas smirks, “They just did what they had to do, get our statements. They were jealous we discovered him first.”
I offer, “They were pissed and impressed, could see it in their faces. Hated that we wouldn’t say where we got the tip.”
“Celia,” Sofia asks, concern all over her. “how’d it go?”
“I did what you said, kept to the story. We all did. It was self-defense. I thought he had a gun. I pulled the trigger and didn’t mean to kill him.”
Jett nods, “She’s just one hell of a shot, I told ‘em. They didn’t laugh outright but one of them muttered his
