Emma's Secret: A Novel

still cries in her sleep, wanting her mommy. When I came back down to the kitchen, I noticed Jack holding his pill bottle. Just a little chest pain is all, he said. But I know that man better than he thinks. He would only take those pills if he was in a lot of pain. The radio was on low, and the story of a woman trying to find her daughter came on. It’s been on the radio all day. The sound of that woman’s pleas haunt me. I know what she is going through. I understand her fears. I wish I could write her a letter and tell her to never give up, not like I did. But I won’t. Sometimes the lessons we learn in life aren’t meant to be shared.
    I often wonder if Jack ever thinks about when Mary went missing all those years ago. How worried we were. How we searched all over only to realize that our child wasn’t missing—she’d run away from the ones who loved her most.
    A woman can handle only so much weight on her shoulders before her knees give out and she can’t get back up again. I’m not sure how much more I can take.
    Emmie is a beautiful child. I see so much of Mary in her. She has Jack’s eyes, pale blue that darken when she cries or gets sad. The poor child is so scared and sad. I just want to wrap my arms around her and never let her go. I made so many mistakes with Mary, but I can only believe that this is God’s way of giving me another chance. Those rare moments when she smiles are priceless. Why didn’t I treasure Mary’s smiles when she was this age? I can’t stop thanking God that I found her when I did. Otherwise, my granddaughter might have forever been lost to me.
    Please, Mary, if you are looking down, know that I never stopped loving you. I promise to be a better grandmother to your child than I was a mother to you. I promise.

    Megan rocked herself in the back-porch swing, enjoying the gentle summer breeze kissing her shoulders and arms as she drank in the silence.
    She loved this time of day best, when the birds’ sweet songs filled the summer air and the sun dropped slowly into the horizon. Sometimes Peter would sit out here with her on the swing, coffee in hand, as they struggled to reconnect with each other. It had been Kathy’s suggestion that they do this, a means of rebuilding thetenuous bonds of their marriage. So far it wasn’t working. Most of the time she was out here alone while Peter was stuck at the office.
    Although she wasn’t sure “stuck” was the right word. It was his choice to work late nights. She wasn’t sure why he needed to—Samantha was supposed to help lighten his load. Unless…
    In the beginning, it was almost as if he were trying to avoid Emma, which made no sense. But lately, all the two seemed to do was spend time together. Their bond was growing stronger, and while Megan loved to see it develop, she also felt left out. The thought made her sigh deeply.
    Emma was smart for her age. She’d have no problems going to kindergarten in the fall. At night, when Megan tucked the girls into bed, Emma was always waiting with a book she’d picked out. She’d snuggle tight beside Megan, pointing out the smallest details in the pictures.
    Megan lifted the phone and stared at the text message she’d received earlier. She’d asked Peter whether he would be home for dinner. The only reply was that he was working late. Again. Seems like that was all he did—even on the weekend. She’d canceled going to the movies with Laurie too many times to count. Just to make amends, she’d been spending the hot days in Laurie’s pool. The kids loved it, and to be honest, so did she. But she was finally ready for a girls’ night out without kids. She needed it, and she’d asked Peter to be home tonight by seven thirty at the latest. He still hadn’t responded. She was desperate enough that if he didn’t call soon, she would pack the kids up and take them to her mom’s house—something she rarely did.
    She stared out at her yard and noticed the sprinkling of toys layered along the grass. Peter had built Daisy a little run alongside the house; thank God, the dog was learning to go to the bathroom there.
    The sound of light squabbling filtered through the open sliding doors. The girls were watching a kids’ special on the television. Megan had popped some popcorn and was letting them have a pajama party in the living room.
    The phone buzzed in her hand.
Be home soon
. Her brow rose in surprise. Nothing like leaving it to the last minute; Laurie was due to arrive