Judy sighed. “Part of the reason I didn’t want to tell you both about this was because I knew you’d be constantly asking me questions like that.” Her voice was light, and Cassie could tell she was trying to play it off, but it sounded like it bothered her. “Yes, everything is fine. It’s just a pre-op appointment to draw some blood and make sure nothing’s changed since the last time they did it.”
“Of course,” Cassie lied. “I’d love to.”
13
As soon as their mom left the room, Cassie groaned and fell back onto the floor. Dust tickled her nose, and she had to rub at it to make the sensation go away. “Thanks for nothing.”
Laura looked as smug as she sounded. “You’re welcome.”
Cassie picked her head up off the floor enough to glare at her sister, then thumped it back down. “I hate hospitals. I’d hate them even if I didn’t see dead people.”
“Oh.” The color drained from Laura’s face. “I’m so sorry. I can go instead—”
“No, it’s fine.” Cassie’s smile was tight. “I need to spend more time with her. One on one. If I had a choice, I would’ve chosen the mall or something, but it’s fine. Really.”
Laura nodded, but she still looked apologetic. Then her eyes brightened, and she handed the newspaper back to Cassie. “This might be a good time to talk to her about some of the stuff you’ve been experiencing?”
“It’s not exactly dinner conversation.”
“I understand that.” Laura stood and helped Cassie to her feet. “But you need to give them a chance.”
Cassie rolled her eyes, but she didn’t argue. “What are you going to do while I’m gone?”
“Look into Sebastian Thomas, obviously.” When Cassie made a face, Laura shook her finger at her sister. “Don’t go telling me not to get involved. I already am.”
“Old habits.” Truth was, Cassie appreciated the help. “Maybe there’s more about him online. That newspaper article was pretty short. It didn’t seem like they knew much at that point.”
“I’m assuming that since he’s still haunting you, his case is cold. With the internet and twenty-five years of information to go through, there’s gotta be something out there. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a podcast episode dedicated to him. Or even Sarah.”
“I’m just glad we have a name. Calling him little ghost boy was getting annoying. And now we have a solid place to start.”
“The question is whether it’s enough.”
Cassie didn’t have a response for that. She took a moment to look back down at Sebastian’s photo, to cement a living picture of him in her head, before she ambled downstairs and out to her mother’s Camry. Cassie was still wearing her sister’s sweatshirt, which was heavy enough to keep the chill in the air off her skin.
Her mother waited until they pulled out onto the main road before she broke the silence. “How’d you sleep last night?”
“Not bad. The blowup mattress isn’t too bad.”
Judy shot her a look that told her she didn’t believe a word she said. “Sorry about not having another bed for you.”
“No, it’s fine.” Cassie’s voice was too high. “I like your sewing room. It’s very…full.”
Judy laughed. Cassie had almost forgotten what it sounded like. “I’ve taken on a few too many projects. But it’s a fun way to pass the time. Your father has the garage for his woodworking, and I have the upstairs for my sewing. Our own little spaces.”
“How have you guys been doing?”
She laughed again, but this one sounded strained. “Are you asking if our marriage is okay?”
“No, of course not.” She wasn’t worried. But she was curious. “I mean, maybe?”
“We’re fine, honey. Everything’s peachy-keen. Really. There was a rough patch there for a couple years with everything going on, but there’s no world in which your father and I aren’t together. You don’t have to worry.”
“I wasn’t.” Cassie hated that everything going on was synonymous with that time you almost died and surreptitiously kicked us out of your life. “You both seem happy.”
“We are.” She slid her gaze over to Cassie. “Are you happy?”
Cassie hadn’t expected that question. She could’ve lied, but she wanted to be better at talking through the hard stuff. “I think so. Some days are bad. Some days are harder than others. But some days are good. I’m happy sometimes. And that’s kind of cool.”
Judy nodded her head, and Cassie thought she saw the glint of tears in her eyes. But when she spoke, her voice was even. “Did you find anything you wanted to get rid of?”
“Not yet. Laura and I are gonna keep it all and look back at it when we’re eighty.”
“I heard a lot of screaming up there.”
“She found my porcelain doll collection. She says they’re creepy.”
“They are creepy.” Judy laughed, and it was back to normal. “But you loved them so much.”
Cassie basked in the glow of having a normal conversation with her mother. It felt easy, even if there was an underlying tension in everything. She’d have to broach the subject eventually. Better now than never.
“Thank you for asking me to come today. I mean, you asked both of us.” Cassie lost some of her momentum. She felt dumb. “But, you know, thanks for including me.”
Judy twisted her mouth to the side. She gripped the wheel until her knuckles turned white. “Your father and I are both so happy to see you. I got a little overwhelmed at dinner, and I lashed out. That wasn’t right.”
“I’m sorry, too.” Tears stung Cassie’s eyes. “There’s a lot I want to tell you. A lot I want to say to you. But I’m still having trouble putting it all into words.”
“Me, too.” She took a deep breath and took a left. Traffic was light. It didn’t give either of them much to look at. “I know you don’t like hospitals, but I appreciate you coming with me.”
“Of course.” Had she heard Cassie’s conversation with her sister? “I’m sorry your friend is going through a tough time right now.”
“Mary’s a wonderful
