Emma's Secret: A Novel

her, even though she was upstairs getting ready for the beach.
    “Why are you only telling us about this now? We might have had plans, you know.”
    The censure in her mother’s voice was palpable, and it took all of Megan’s strength to keep the fake smile in her voice evident.
    “I know, I’m sorry. But I just—”
    “You forgot, didn’t you? Oh, Megan, how could you?” It wasn’t hard to visualize her mother shaking her head while frowning.
    “I didn’t forget. I just didn’t realize it was so soon. Besides, you knew it was coming up, so why would you have plans made?” Why did she have to justify herself? Did they not think she realized how wrong it was for a mother to forget her own daughter’s birthday?
    There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment. “You can count on us; you know that, don’t you?”
    Megan didn’t always know that. Their relationship was…complicated, to say the least. Megan always felt she had to live up to her mother’s expectations, even when she didn’t know what they were. When Emma had first disappeared, Sheila expected her to be strong, to not give up hope, and to believe that God would protect Emma and bring her home safely. When Megan fell apart, Sheila’s disgust didn’t go unnoticed.
    “Megan?”
    She shook her head and made herself focus. “Thank you. I think it’ll be fun.”
    “What are you doing about the cake?” Sheila was known for her cake-decorating skills. She was on call for many of the churches in town to bake for their functions.
    “Hannah’s been begging me to let her make the family cake.” Like mother like daughter, Hannah loved to bake, and often asked to try new recipes she’d find in the multitude of cookbooks Megan kept in the cupboard.
    “No sense in doing that. Let me make Alexis’s cake. Did Peter order those golf clubs for her? Why don’t I make the cake in the shape of a putting green for her?”
    Megan smiled. Alexis would love that. She thanked her mom before hanging up.
    She put her elbow on the kitchen table. She’d accomplished a lot in a short time. She’d called friends from Alexis’s class and explained the surprise-party idea to them, booked the racetrack, and even managed to coordinate an extra surprise, thanks to the manager. This would be a birthday Alexis would never forget, even if it was pulled together only a few days before the actual event.
    Megan checked the time. What was taking Peter so long? He had a meeting this morning with someone wanting to purchase land just outside of Kinrich and said he wouldn’t be long. He offered to grab some coffee and suggested taking Emma with him, and if he was only going through the drive-thru, he should have been home at least twenty minutes ago. Unless Emma sweet-talked him into going inside for a donut, something she was apt to do. Lately, it was as if that little girl of theirs had Peter wrapped around her little finger.
    Thundering footfalls ripped through the ceiling above her, and a mere second later echoed down the stairs. She rushed to tidy up her lists and managed to turn over the details about the birthday moments before Alexis slid into the kitchen.
    “I can’t find my bathing suit anywhere.” Hands were on her hips as she sported a bright-yellow Big Bird T-shirt and green knee-length shorts.
    Megan sighed. It had taken her only fifteen minutes to realize her bathing suit wasn’t upstairs.
    “Where did you put it last?”
    Alexis’s brow rose. “If I knew that, I’d be wearing it; don’t you think?”
    Megan snorted. “If you think it’s okay to talk to me like that, we can do a beach day tomorrow.”
    Alexis thinned her lips but kept quiet.
    “Where did you last leave it?” Megan kept her voice calm. This wasn’t a battle she was willing to fight. Not today.
    Alex glanced around the room before heading to the patio door.
    “We all left our bathing suits outside to dry yesterday. Why is mine the only one left out there?”
    Megan stood and gathered the sheets of paper. “Maybe because I asked you last night to bring it inside.” She opened the cupboard by the kitchen desk area and stuffed the papers into it. She’d finish the planning for Alexis’s party later.
    “But there are bugs in it now!” In a sudden rage, Alexis turned red in the face as she crossed her arms over her chest and glared.
    Megan shrugged. “Guess you should have listened to me last night then.”
    “That’s not fair.” Alexis stomped her feet