pointed
at a woman up the street. She was wearing tattered clothing, pushing a shopping cart.
It was all her father could do to stop him from running down the street.
Marissa could remember Duff’s contorted face as he looked up at their dad and said,
“But it’s Mom.”
Marissa had wanted to get a closer look. She barely remembered what her mother looked
like. But the dirty woman, the one who was talking to herself, looked nothing like
the image she’d formed from a few aging photos.
Glen Llewellyn had gathered up his children, shuttled them back to their van and driven
away without so much as a comment. Later that night, Marissa had overheard him talking
to Mr. Humphries. Their mother had a drug problem. When she’d run off it was to avoid
going into rehab—she’d chosen God knows what over getting the help Glen was offering
her. Apparently she’d come back from time to time to ask for money, and the last time
Glen had refused. He’d told her no, and until that day at the library it’d been three
years since he’d seen her.
Her father was devastated and so confused. Marissa had been mad at the woman for upsetting
him. They’d never gone back to that library—as a family. When Marissa was old enough,
she’d gone looking for her mom. She’d wanted nothing more than to find her mom, help
her, get her off the streets, but no matter how many times she’d gone back to that
library she’d never found her mom. She always feared her mother had finally succumbed
to either being on the streets or drugs themselves.
Marissa lowered her voice as her stomach continued to pitch. “He’s homeless?” Her
voice carried and the young man’s cheeks turned red.
Hill set down the drink he’d just pulled up to his mouth and gulped heavily.
A deep throat cleared from behind Marissa and she jumped. “Oh, Chief, hey.”
Hill stood suddenly as Lexi gasped. “We’ve gotta…”
“No.” Marissa held her hand up. “You’re not going anywhere.” She turned to Jax. “Was
there something else you needed?”
He opened his mouth, but the cell at his hip chirped again. When he looked at the
screen, he shook his head. “I’ve got to go.” He glanced back up at Marissa, then to
Hill. “Will you be here a little later? I think you and I need to talk.”
“Yeah, sure. Whatever.” Marissa hurried Jax to the door. “I’m here ‘bout another hour.”
Once she got him out of the shop, she turned to face the two teens.
“What’s going on?” Marlie stood behind the counter, her gaze volleying between the
three.
Marissa turned to her sister but decided not to tell her who Hill was. Not until she
could figure out what to do. “Don’t you have an appointment at the club?”
Marlie jumped and checked her watch. “Oh, I do. I’ll call you later with the details
for the wedding—”
“I don’t know.”
“You promised you’d do it,” she said in a singsong voice as she waggled her pinky
and gave Marissa the sisterly you-owe-me stare.
“We’ll see…” Marissa tried to get the words out before her sister made it out the
front door, but she blew past so fast, she wasn’t sure Marlie had heard her. She had
pinky sworn, though, so even though Marlie had tricked her, she couldn’t wiggle out
of it.
When she turned back to the teens, they were quietly arguing over the half-eaten cupcakes.
“Okay, so let’s talk.”
The pair jumped apart, both wide-eyed. And suddenly mute.
Marissa smashed her hands on her hips. “Which one of you is going to go first?” She
waggled her finger between the two.
Both teens looked at their feet.
“Lexi, you seem to be the one with all the ideas and plans. You go first.” Marissa
pulled out a stool and leaned up against it, then slid the one across from her out
with her foot. “Sit. Start over from the beginning.”
Lexi walked over to the stool and only glanced back over her shoulder at Hill once.
She
at a woman up the street. She was wearing tattered clothing, pushing a shopping cart.
It was all her father could do to stop him from running down the street.
Marissa could remember Duff’s contorted face as he looked up at their dad and said,
“But it’s Mom.”
Marissa had wanted to get a closer look. She barely remembered what her mother looked
like. But the dirty woman, the one who was talking to herself, looked nothing like
the image she’d formed from a few aging photos.
Glen Llewellyn had gathered up his children, shuttled them back to their van and driven
away without so much as a comment. Later that night, Marissa had overheard him talking
to Mr. Humphries. Their mother had a drug problem. When she’d run off it was to avoid
going into rehab—she’d chosen God knows what over getting the help Glen was offering
her. Apparently she’d come back from time to time to ask for money, and the last time
Glen had refused. He’d told her no, and until that day at the library it’d been three
years since he’d seen her.
Her father was devastated and so confused. Marissa had been mad at the woman for upsetting
him. They’d never gone back to that library—as a family. When Marissa was old enough,
she’d gone looking for her mom. She’d wanted nothing more than to find her mom, help
her, get her off the streets, but no matter how many times she’d gone back to that
library she’d never found her mom. She always feared her mother had finally succumbed
to either being on the streets or drugs themselves.
Marissa lowered her voice as her stomach continued to pitch. “He’s homeless?” Her
voice carried and the young man’s cheeks turned red.
Hill set down the drink he’d just pulled up to his mouth and gulped heavily.
A deep throat cleared from behind Marissa and she jumped. “Oh, Chief, hey.”
Hill stood suddenly as Lexi gasped. “We’ve gotta…”
“No.” Marissa held her hand up. “You’re not going anywhere.” She turned to Jax. “Was
there something else you needed?”
He opened his mouth, but the cell at his hip chirped again. When he looked at the
screen, he shook his head. “I’ve got to go.” He glanced back up at Marissa, then to
Hill. “Will you be here a little later? I think you and I need to talk.”
“Yeah, sure. Whatever.” Marissa hurried Jax to the door. “I’m here ‘bout another hour.”
Once she got him out of the shop, she turned to face the two teens.
“What’s going on?” Marlie stood behind the counter, her gaze volleying between the
three.
Marissa turned to her sister but decided not to tell her who Hill was. Not until she
could figure out what to do. “Don’t you have an appointment at the club?”
Marlie jumped and checked her watch. “Oh, I do. I’ll call you later with the details
for the wedding—”
“I don’t know.”
“You promised you’d do it,” she said in a singsong voice as she waggled her pinky
and gave Marissa the sisterly you-owe-me stare.
“We’ll see…” Marissa tried to get the words out before her sister made it out the
front door, but she blew past so fast, she wasn’t sure Marlie had heard her. She had
pinky sworn, though, so even though Marlie had tricked her, she couldn’t wiggle out
of it.
When she turned back to the teens, they were quietly arguing over the half-eaten cupcakes.
“Okay, so let’s talk.”
The pair jumped apart, both wide-eyed. And suddenly mute.
Marissa smashed her hands on her hips. “Which one of you is going to go first?” She
waggled her finger between the two.
Both teens looked at their feet.
“Lexi, you seem to be the one with all the ideas and plans. You go first.” Marissa
pulled out a stool and leaned up against it, then slid the one across from her out
with her foot. “Sit. Start over from the beginning.”
Lexi walked over to the stool and only glanced back over her shoulder at Hill once.
She
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