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Authors: Robin Alexander
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Jacob said as he stared transfixed at the screen.
“I hate to burst your bubble, but that’s just a persona created by her agent, I’m sure.”
Jacob turned to her. “This isn’t her?”
“It is…but it’s not. I mean, that’s her.” Quinn pointed to the picture. She cocked her head to the side as she stared at it. “This just makes her look like something she’s not, I suppose. You’d have to meet her to understand.”
“When?” Jacob asked excitedly.
“Hold on, bud, I’ll have to talk to her about that first.”
*******
Blake tossed fitfully. She was exhausted but failed to fall into a deep restful sleep. The coyote she’d seen sniffing around the back porch earlier had her unnerved. She flopped onto her back and wondered how long it would take for such an animal to chew through the screen and wooden doors. Quinn said it was just a dog. She reminded herself of that as she lay there and tried to keep her eyes closed.
She missed her apartment. At least there she knew the noises around her. Blake doubted the woman across the street who came out in the cool of the mornings to tend her flower gardens would be much help against a rabid dog, and the police chief never seemed to be home. She missed her mother, who always took her side, but Blake knew that was part of her problem. Her brow furrowed as she recalled the family meeting they’d had. That, in conjunction with the writer’s block and Cassidy’s persistence, had been the catalyst for the move. It was an intervention of sorts and had made more of an impact on Blake than she was willing to admit to anyone.
“You are a large part of her problem, Mom,” Dani said as she sat with her arms folded. “I hate to hurt your feelings, but it’s the truth. You coddle Blake too much, you always have. You make excuses for her crazy behavior.”
“Not crazy,” Mike, their father, corrected and smiled kindly at Blake. “Sweetheart, some of your behaviors are a detriment to your mental health, and that’s why we’re here today. It has to stop.”
“She has special needs. She—”
“Rhonda,” Mike said firmly, “no, she doesn’t. Blake is perfectly capable of living a full life, and we have to let her.”
Blake’s mother reached over and took Blake’s hand. “I won’t let them turn you loose in the city.”
Blake’s chest tightened. “Is that what this is about?” she said behind a gasp. “You’re just going to throw me out there to find my way home?”
Dani rolled her eyes. “People do it all the time. They take a cab, train, or drive. How do you think I got here? Mom didn’t pick me up. Blake, don’t you want to live like a normal person?”
“She is normal,” Rhonda countered angrily, “with special needs.”
“Mom, stop saying that!” Dani sat on the edge of her seat. “Don’t you see what you’ve done? You’ve told her that for years and look what she’s become. She’s a virtual shut-in. She has a hundred locks on her door. The last time I visited her, it took twenty minutes for her to unlock it.” Dani took a deep breath when Mike put a hand on her shoulder. She was calmer when she spoke again. “Blake, I love you. I’d like to have a relationship with you. You’re my only sibling, but we can’t go to the movies, we can’t shop together, we can’t go have a drink. If I want to see you, I have to go to your place and be locked down like there’s a horde of zombies waiting outside your door to eat us.”
“Zombies,” Rhonda said with a smile as she turned to Blake. “That’s something you haven’t written about. Maybe you should consider them for your next book. They’re hot right now.”
“Mother! Focus!” Dani yelled.
“What do you want me to do?” Blake asked with exasperation.
“I want you to stop listening to Mom. I want you to realize that you’re an intelligent woman and start acting like it. You’ve been in therapy for years, and it’s done nothing for you. The only way you’re
“I hate to burst your bubble, but that’s just a persona created by her agent, I’m sure.”
Jacob turned to her. “This isn’t her?”
“It is…but it’s not. I mean, that’s her.” Quinn pointed to the picture. She cocked her head to the side as she stared at it. “This just makes her look like something she’s not, I suppose. You’d have to meet her to understand.”
“When?” Jacob asked excitedly.
“Hold on, bud, I’ll have to talk to her about that first.”
*******
Blake tossed fitfully. She was exhausted but failed to fall into a deep restful sleep. The coyote she’d seen sniffing around the back porch earlier had her unnerved. She flopped onto her back and wondered how long it would take for such an animal to chew through the screen and wooden doors. Quinn said it was just a dog. She reminded herself of that as she lay there and tried to keep her eyes closed.
She missed her apartment. At least there she knew the noises around her. Blake doubted the woman across the street who came out in the cool of the mornings to tend her flower gardens would be much help against a rabid dog, and the police chief never seemed to be home. She missed her mother, who always took her side, but Blake knew that was part of her problem. Her brow furrowed as she recalled the family meeting they’d had. That, in conjunction with the writer’s block and Cassidy’s persistence, had been the catalyst for the move. It was an intervention of sorts and had made more of an impact on Blake than she was willing to admit to anyone.
“You are a large part of her problem, Mom,” Dani said as she sat with her arms folded. “I hate to hurt your feelings, but it’s the truth. You coddle Blake too much, you always have. You make excuses for her crazy behavior.”
“Not crazy,” Mike, their father, corrected and smiled kindly at Blake. “Sweetheart, some of your behaviors are a detriment to your mental health, and that’s why we’re here today. It has to stop.”
“She has special needs. She—”
“Rhonda,” Mike said firmly, “no, she doesn’t. Blake is perfectly capable of living a full life, and we have to let her.”
Blake’s mother reached over and took Blake’s hand. “I won’t let them turn you loose in the city.”
Blake’s chest tightened. “Is that what this is about?” she said behind a gasp. “You’re just going to throw me out there to find my way home?”
Dani rolled her eyes. “People do it all the time. They take a cab, train, or drive. How do you think I got here? Mom didn’t pick me up. Blake, don’t you want to live like a normal person?”
“She is normal,” Rhonda countered angrily, “with special needs.”
“Mom, stop saying that!” Dani sat on the edge of her seat. “Don’t you see what you’ve done? You’ve told her that for years and look what she’s become. She’s a virtual shut-in. She has a hundred locks on her door. The last time I visited her, it took twenty minutes for her to unlock it.” Dani took a deep breath when Mike put a hand on her shoulder. She was calmer when she spoke again. “Blake, I love you. I’d like to have a relationship with you. You’re my only sibling, but we can’t go to the movies, we can’t shop together, we can’t go have a drink. If I want to see you, I have to go to your place and be locked down like there’s a horde of zombies waiting outside your door to eat us.”
“Zombies,” Rhonda said with a smile as she turned to Blake. “That’s something you haven’t written about. Maybe you should consider them for your next book. They’re hot right now.”
“Mother! Focus!” Dani yelled.
“What do you want me to do?” Blake asked with exasperation.
“I want you to stop listening to Mom. I want you to realize that you’re an intelligent woman and start acting like it. You’ve been in therapy for years, and it’s done nothing for you. The only way you’re
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