Read Online Woven Wishes (Whispered Wishes Book 4) by Karen Pokras - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Karen Pokras
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mountains empty, and he offered it to us anytime.”
“So when are you going?”
“In a couple of weeks. We’re going to make a long weekend out of it. We really need to get away, just the two of us.”
“It sounds like heaven,” Ava murmured wistfully.
“Well, maybe Max can take some time off, and you guys can spend a weekend up there, too. Like I said, it’s empty, so I’m sure Ben’s boss wouldn’t mind. We’ll watch the kids, of course. You two could use a romantic weekend away, right?” Holly waited, but there was no response. “Ava? Did I lose you?”
“What? No, I’m here.”
“Is everything okay?” she asked, detecting the sound of a sniffle in her sister’s voice. Was it possible she didn’t want to go away for the weekend with Max?
“No, everything’s fine. I think a weekend away sounds lovely. Perfect in fact. Just like things used to be.”
Yes, there it was again. Another sniffle. “Ava, honey, something’s wrong. I can hear it in your voice. Come on, talk to me.”
“No, I’m fine … and you have more than enough on your plate right now.”
“Now you listen to me, Ava Haines Wallis,” Holly said, her voice getting louder with each word, “A: I just got done telling you I feel much better, B: You’re always there for me and Tessa, and you never let us help you, and C: You’re always there for me and Tessa, and you never let us help you. Now tell me what’s wrong. Right now.”
“B and C were the same,” Ava remarked.
“That’s not the point,” Holly told her. “Well, yes, that was the point. Come on. You don’t always have to carry all of your burdens on your own. For once let someone else in.
“Okay,” Ava said. Holly could hear her sigh before she continued. “I lost Ryan at the museum today.”
“What?” Holly shrieked so loud the crystal in her china cabinet rattled. “Oh my God! Why are you so calm right now? Why didn’t you call me?”
“Um … probably because you have a tendency to freak out a little. Everything is fine. We went to go see an exhibit, and he wandered into the next room without me realizing. I only took my eyes off him for a second. At least I think it was just a second. Oh, Hol, I completely lost track of time. To be honest, I don’t know how long my son was lost. I mean, what if I hadn’t found him? What if—”Ava’s sobbing stopped her from finishing her sentence. “I’m a terrible mother,” she finally said when she had calmed down a bit.
“No, you’re not,” Holly assured her, now feeling awful about her outburst. “You’re one of the best mothers I’ve ever known. Scratch that. You are the best mother I’ve ever known. Every time I think about being a mom, you’re the person I think of, the one I want to be exactly like. Don’t beat yourself up. What happened today could have happened to anyone. The important thing is that Ryan is fine. See? This is why a weekend away is exactly what you need.”
“There’s more,” Ava said with a hesitant tone to her voice.
“More?” Holly asked, not sure she was ready for part two of this story, but she had offered to be her sister’s sounding board. Now was not the time for her to back down or overreact.
“Ryan was talking to a man when I found him. He was telling the man about the paintings … about things I had taught him.”
“That’s good, right? I mean, not good that he ran away, but good that he’s so into art.”
“The man was also an artist,” Ava continued, ignoring Holly’s last statement, “someone who was a client when I worked at the gallery on the West Coast.”
“You knew him? That’s random.”
“I’ll say. We’d never met face-to-face. We’d only spoken on the telephone.” Ava explained to her sister the nature of their business dealings, and why they’d never had a chance to meet.
“What a strange coincidence. I have to tell you, Ava, this story is turning out much better than I expected. So, are you going to go to his
“So when are you going?”
“In a couple of weeks. We’re going to make a long weekend out of it. We really need to get away, just the two of us.”
“It sounds like heaven,” Ava murmured wistfully.
“Well, maybe Max can take some time off, and you guys can spend a weekend up there, too. Like I said, it’s empty, so I’m sure Ben’s boss wouldn’t mind. We’ll watch the kids, of course. You two could use a romantic weekend away, right?” Holly waited, but there was no response. “Ava? Did I lose you?”
“What? No, I’m here.”
“Is everything okay?” she asked, detecting the sound of a sniffle in her sister’s voice. Was it possible she didn’t want to go away for the weekend with Max?
“No, everything’s fine. I think a weekend away sounds lovely. Perfect in fact. Just like things used to be.”
Yes, there it was again. Another sniffle. “Ava, honey, something’s wrong. I can hear it in your voice. Come on, talk to me.”
“No, I’m fine … and you have more than enough on your plate right now.”
“Now you listen to me, Ava Haines Wallis,” Holly said, her voice getting louder with each word, “A: I just got done telling you I feel much better, B: You’re always there for me and Tessa, and you never let us help you, and C: You’re always there for me and Tessa, and you never let us help you. Now tell me what’s wrong. Right now.”
“B and C were the same,” Ava remarked.
“That’s not the point,” Holly told her. “Well, yes, that was the point. Come on. You don’t always have to carry all of your burdens on your own. For once let someone else in.
“Okay,” Ava said. Holly could hear her sigh before she continued. “I lost Ryan at the museum today.”
“What?” Holly shrieked so loud the crystal in her china cabinet rattled. “Oh my God! Why are you so calm right now? Why didn’t you call me?”
“Um … probably because you have a tendency to freak out a little. Everything is fine. We went to go see an exhibit, and he wandered into the next room without me realizing. I only took my eyes off him for a second. At least I think it was just a second. Oh, Hol, I completely lost track of time. To be honest, I don’t know how long my son was lost. I mean, what if I hadn’t found him? What if—”Ava’s sobbing stopped her from finishing her sentence. “I’m a terrible mother,” she finally said when she had calmed down a bit.
“No, you’re not,” Holly assured her, now feeling awful about her outburst. “You’re one of the best mothers I’ve ever known. Scratch that. You are the best mother I’ve ever known. Every time I think about being a mom, you’re the person I think of, the one I want to be exactly like. Don’t beat yourself up. What happened today could have happened to anyone. The important thing is that Ryan is fine. See? This is why a weekend away is exactly what you need.”
“There’s more,” Ava said with a hesitant tone to her voice.
“More?” Holly asked, not sure she was ready for part two of this story, but she had offered to be her sister’s sounding board. Now was not the time for her to back down or overreact.
“Ryan was talking to a man when I found him. He was telling the man about the paintings … about things I had taught him.”
“That’s good, right? I mean, not good that he ran away, but good that he’s so into art.”
“The man was also an artist,” Ava continued, ignoring Holly’s last statement, “someone who was a client when I worked at the gallery on the West Coast.”
“You knew him? That’s random.”
“I’ll say. We’d never met face-to-face. We’d only spoken on the telephone.” Ava explained to her sister the nature of their business dealings, and why they’d never had a chance to meet.
“What a strange coincidence. I have to tell you, Ava, this story is turning out much better than I expected. So, are you going to go to his
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