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Authors: Nancy Allan
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voicemail, so she left a message on each. While she waited, Amy thought about Mrs. Boxer, the neighbor who lived beside her grandparents and who wasn’t home that morning. Amy pulled out the slip of paper with the number Dorothy had written down for her and decided to try it. A quivery voice answered.
Amy responded, “Hello, Mrs. Boxer, this is Amy Johnson. I’m Cynthia and Art Hadden’s granddaughter. They used to live next door to you.”
There was a long pause. “Oh yes, I remember Cynthia and Art. And you’re their granddaughter?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“You were just a little tyke back when you’d come visit them. How are you, My Dear?”
Relieved that she remembered, Amy replied, “I’m fine, but something has happened, and I was hoping you might be able to help. First, tell me, did you live next door to my grandparents back in the eighties?”
“Oh yes, my husband and I have lived here over fifty years.”
Amy grew hopeful. “Do you happen to remember my parents? They lived with my grandparents when I was born.”
“Sure do. Now, what were their names? Oh, I remember, Sharalynn and Dave. They moved in with your grandparents when Sharalynn was pregnant. I’ll never forget that—she was as big as a dirigible. Looked like she was going to burst.”
Amy found this surprising considering her small birth size. “Really?”
“Yes, and I do recall that a specialist was involved.”
“I don’t suppose you remember his name,” Amy said.
“No, sorry,” Mrs. Boxer relied, “that was a long time ago.”
Amy tried again. “Do you happen to remember who my mother’s doctor was?”
“No, but I do recall that he was concerned about one of the twins.”
Twins!
“Hello? Amy? Are you there?”
“Twins?” Amy asked. It made sense. It was the only thing that made sense . Why then, am I shocked to actually hear it? “I wasn’t aware that my mom had twins,” Amy finally said. “But if she had twins, what happened to the other one?”
There was a silence. “You don’t know, my Dear?”
“I don’t.”
“I wonder why no one told you,” Mrs. Boxer said.
“Told me what?” Amy tried to be patient.
This time the silence lasted too long. Finally, Mrs. Boxer whispered, “One died.”
CHAPTER 12
Amy sat stunned. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that somewhere deep inside her, she’d always felt as though someone was missing from her life, someone very special. Now, Amy knew who that was. From inception there had been two of them. They were twins. And sadly, her twin had died at birth.
Or had she?
Why had no one ever mentioned the twin to Amy? Why had no one ever spoken about this? Why the deep silence?
Amy glanced at her watch. It was almost seven o’clock and still no sign of Nita, Brandon, or Jamie. Where were they? Amy decided to call Gramps and let him know that she and Jamie were planning to stay the night with him. She wouldn’t mention what she had just learned about her twin until she got there. Then, she would insist on Gramps giving her a full explanation about what happened. She wasn’t going to let him off the hook again.
He answered the fourth ring. “Hadden.” The old man sounded grouchy.
“Hi, Gramps, how’s everything?” Amy said loudly.
“I’ve been worried about you and Jamie. I was hoping you were going to call and say you were both in France, or Australia, or someplace.”
Amy sighed. “What I was calling for, Gramps, was to tell you that I’m at Nita’s picking up Jamie. We’re going to come and stay the night.” There was no way Amy was going to take Jamie home after the break-in and the warning she’d received.
“Sure,” he answered. “Always love having you both, but you won’t be any safer here than at home, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
Amy changed the subject. “We’ll talk more about that when I get there.” Lots more. “Meanwhile, I’ve got a question for you,
Amy responded, “Hello, Mrs. Boxer, this is Amy Johnson. I’m Cynthia and Art Hadden’s granddaughter. They used to live next door to you.”
There was a long pause. “Oh yes, I remember Cynthia and Art. And you’re their granddaughter?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“You were just a little tyke back when you’d come visit them. How are you, My Dear?”
Relieved that she remembered, Amy replied, “I’m fine, but something has happened, and I was hoping you might be able to help. First, tell me, did you live next door to my grandparents back in the eighties?”
“Oh yes, my husband and I have lived here over fifty years.”
Amy grew hopeful. “Do you happen to remember my parents? They lived with my grandparents when I was born.”
“Sure do. Now, what were their names? Oh, I remember, Sharalynn and Dave. They moved in with your grandparents when Sharalynn was pregnant. I’ll never forget that—she was as big as a dirigible. Looked like she was going to burst.”
Amy found this surprising considering her small birth size. “Really?”
“Yes, and I do recall that a specialist was involved.”
“I don’t suppose you remember his name,” Amy said.
“No, sorry,” Mrs. Boxer relied, “that was a long time ago.”
Amy tried again. “Do you happen to remember who my mother’s doctor was?”
“No, but I do recall that he was concerned about one of the twins.”
Twins!
“Hello? Amy? Are you there?”
“Twins?” Amy asked. It made sense. It was the only thing that made sense . Why then, am I shocked to actually hear it? “I wasn’t aware that my mom had twins,” Amy finally said. “But if she had twins, what happened to the other one?”
There was a silence. “You don’t know, my Dear?”
“I don’t.”
“I wonder why no one told you,” Mrs. Boxer said.
“Told me what?” Amy tried to be patient.
This time the silence lasted too long. Finally, Mrs. Boxer whispered, “One died.”
CHAPTER 12
Amy sat stunned. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that somewhere deep inside her, she’d always felt as though someone was missing from her life, someone very special. Now, Amy knew who that was. From inception there had been two of them. They were twins. And sadly, her twin had died at birth.
Or had she?
Why had no one ever mentioned the twin to Amy? Why had no one ever spoken about this? Why the deep silence?
Amy glanced at her watch. It was almost seven o’clock and still no sign of Nita, Brandon, or Jamie. Where were they? Amy decided to call Gramps and let him know that she and Jamie were planning to stay the night with him. She wouldn’t mention what she had just learned about her twin until she got there. Then, she would insist on Gramps giving her a full explanation about what happened. She wasn’t going to let him off the hook again.
He answered the fourth ring. “Hadden.” The old man sounded grouchy.
“Hi, Gramps, how’s everything?” Amy said loudly.
“I’ve been worried about you and Jamie. I was hoping you were going to call and say you were both in France, or Australia, or someplace.”
Amy sighed. “What I was calling for, Gramps, was to tell you that I’m at Nita’s picking up Jamie. We’re going to come and stay the night.” There was no way Amy was going to take Jamie home after the break-in and the warning she’d received.
“Sure,” he answered. “Always love having you both, but you won’t be any safer here than at home, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
Amy changed the subject. “We’ll talk more about that when I get there.” Lots more. “Meanwhile, I’ve got a question for you,
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