Read Online Live to Tell by Wendy Corsi Staub - Free Book Online

cleaning service. Now that Lucy and Ryan are home, Tuesday—the regular cleaning day—can’t come soon enough.
    “Here you go, boy.”
    As Lucy puts a bowl of dog food on the floor in front of an appreciative Chauncey, Lauren admires her daughter’s effortless beauty. Lucy is blessed with a trim athletic build, big green eyes, and a flawless complexion that’s seen a little too much sun this summer for Lauren’s peace of mind—though she secretly acknowledges that the glow is becoming. Lucy’s perpetual ponytail has been replaced, over the summer, by a new style. Damp and freshly shampooed, it falls straight and silky past her shoulders.
    Any second now, she’s probably going to come home with her first boyfriend.
    And I’ll have to handle that on my own, too .
    But Lauren will have to worry about it when the time comes. What matters now is that Lucy is all right—faring better, perhaps, than anyone. She’s no longer pulling out her eyelashes. Nick was right about one thing: the time away from home obviously did their older daughter a world of good.
    As for their youngest child… Sadie did see the child psychiatrist, Dr. Rogel, once. Lauren can’t tell whether it helped or not. For the first half hour, Sadie spoke to the doctor alone, behind closed doors.
    “But you said I’m not s’posed to talk to strangers,” she protested when the doctor summoned her in.
    “It’s okay. I’m right here. And Dr. Rogel’s not a stranger. I know him.”
    “But I don’t.”
    “You can talk to him. That’s why we’re here.”
    Miraculously, once she got over her shyness, Sadie actually did open up to Dr. Rogel. She talked a lot about Fred, her missing toy rabbit.
    When Dr. Rogel met with Lauren after the session, he asked if Fred was real. Apparently, he thought Fred might be some kind of psychological metaphor for Nick.
    When he found out Fred was real and had, indeed, gone missing, Dr. Rogel nodded knowingly.
    “It’s very common for children of divorce to become excessively attached to, and even hypervigilant about, their belongings.”
    Lauren was so stuck on the phrase “children of divorce” that she didn’t think to ask any follow-up questions.
    Children of divorce.
    It’s surreal, even now, to hear Lucy, Ryan, and Sadie described that way.
    Children of divorce? Her kids? How did this happen?
    She should probably schedule a return visit to Dr. Rogel for Sadie before school starts. Maybe for all three of them. It’s expensive, and insurance doesn’t cover it, but Nick told her to do whatever she thought was necessary.
    Dr. Rogel did mention that he’d be going on vacation in August. But maybe he’s back by now—or hasn’t left yet. And he said another doctor would be covering his patients in his absence.
    I’ll call and make an appointment for Sadie , Lauren decides. She needs it.
    Hell, maybe I need a shrink, too.
    “So…how’s your father?” she asks Lucy, reaching for an avocado that’s been ripening on the windowsill.
    “Good. He said there’s no cell service out at the house he’s renting, so he can only call us when he’s in the town.”
    “I thought he’s been texting you.”
    “He did, a few times—he must have been in town.”
    “Mmm hmm.”
    Lucy looks hard at her. “ What? ”
    “Nothing.”
    “Don’t you believe that?”
    “Believe what? I didn’t even say anything.”
    “You said ‘mmm hmm,’ like you think Daddy made it up about the cell service and not being able to get in touch with us more.”
    “I don’t think that, sweetie.”
    Okay, that’s a lie. And judging by the flash of misgiving in Lucy’s eyes, maybe she doesn’t believe Nick, either.
    “What else did Daddy have to say?”
    “Well, I told him we got our fall schedules for school in the mail yesterday.”
    “Oh, that’s right.” Lauren has been meaning to take a look at them, but they seem to have gotten lost in the household shuffle.
    “When I told Daddy I have Mr. Trompin for HR, he