sheriff's hand and gave his wife a kiss then stepped out onto the sidewalk. He looked up at the stars even though it was still daytime. He didn't care, he knew they were there. They were there and they were shining down on him.
C hapter 21
Susan and the sheriff pulled up to the Fletcher house and the sheriff turned off the car. He turned to Susan. "I have no idea how's she's going to react, but I need to tell you some things about her. Things that weren't important at the time, but now it seems they are." Susan was intrigued and still a little hollow from the news of Nancy Fletcher's death. They had never been friend friends, but she knew her well enough to be on a first name basis.
"Okay," she uttered.
"You know she was pregnant."
"Yes, you told me. She lost the baby."
"Right, but you don't know how she got pregnant." He stared out of the cruiser's front windshield. "When Stella died, I didn't know what to do. I had to raise a daughter by myself. Luckily, she was almost a teenager, which made it easy. Easier, maybe. But now, I look at her and I see my wife. I love my daughter more than anything in the world. I'd do anything to protect her. But—"
"What are you trying to say?"
He gripped the steering wheel tight and then loosened his grip. "I could never imagine doing to my daughter what Rosalind's did to her. It never would've crossed my mind unless I had heard it from Nancy."
"Oh my God." Susan understood. And at that moment she felt guilty for hating Rosalind. There was still a hint of jealousy lingering in her mind, but the outright hatred she felt for the girl was gone and in its place she tried to install sympathy.
"I think it'd be for the best if you didn't bring that whole thing up. Can you do that for me? For her?"
"Yeah, I think so. Oh my God."
They got out of the car and walked up to the house.
Rosalind was peeking out of the window while they were sitting in the car. She ran to the door and answered, letting Susan and the Sheriff come in. Rosalind ran back to the couch, huddled in the blankets that she had been in all day, and gripped her picture of the woman in the yellow dress as tight as she could.
"Rosalind honey? We've got some bad news to tell you, and I'm gonna need you to be real strong right now, okay?"
It couldn't be any worse than the news she got last night , she thought. He told her the best way he knew, and by the look on Rosalind's face, it was the worst thing she had ever heard. She burst into tears and clutched the piece of paper tighter. Susan ran over to the couch and consoled her, but she wouldn't stop. The sheriff stood up, helpless to do anything but watch what little of this girl's world that was left crumble before his eyes. He hated himself; not because she was sad and crying, but because the only thing he could think of at the time is that he wanted to cry right along with her.
He held a deep secret that he never told anyone. He hated coffee. It was the only excuse he had for visiting Nancy as much as he did, and he had this little girl to thank for even another excuse to come by the diner. But at that moment he knew—he knew he would never again go inside that diner.
For the fourth time in as many weeks, Rosalind had to pack her things and move to an unfamiliar house. But there was one thing in the back of her mind that gave her comfort. She wouldn't be alone.
Chapter 23
When her things were packed, she drug the red suitcase along the ground and to the car. She looked back at the house, the one place she had ever felt safe until the night before, and waved goodbye. From that moment, she knew she would never really be safe and that anything could happen anywhere. She was learning. She was learning the unspoken rules of the road or maybe life itself. Wherever you go and whatever you do, there'd be a price to pay, and if happiness was ever her goal, she figured that it was going to cost her big time.
The sheriff loaded her suitcase into the trunk of his
C hapter 21
Susan and the sheriff pulled up to the Fletcher house and the sheriff turned off the car. He turned to Susan. "I have no idea how's she's going to react, but I need to tell you some things about her. Things that weren't important at the time, but now it seems they are." Susan was intrigued and still a little hollow from the news of Nancy Fletcher's death. They had never been friend friends, but she knew her well enough to be on a first name basis.
"Okay," she uttered.
"You know she was pregnant."
"Yes, you told me. She lost the baby."
"Right, but you don't know how she got pregnant." He stared out of the cruiser's front windshield. "When Stella died, I didn't know what to do. I had to raise a daughter by myself. Luckily, she was almost a teenager, which made it easy. Easier, maybe. But now, I look at her and I see my wife. I love my daughter more than anything in the world. I'd do anything to protect her. But—"
"What are you trying to say?"
He gripped the steering wheel tight and then loosened his grip. "I could never imagine doing to my daughter what Rosalind's did to her. It never would've crossed my mind unless I had heard it from Nancy."
"Oh my God." Susan understood. And at that moment she felt guilty for hating Rosalind. There was still a hint of jealousy lingering in her mind, but the outright hatred she felt for the girl was gone and in its place she tried to install sympathy.
"I think it'd be for the best if you didn't bring that whole thing up. Can you do that for me? For her?"
"Yeah, I think so. Oh my God."
They got out of the car and walked up to the house.
Rosalind was peeking out of the window while they were sitting in the car. She ran to the door and answered, letting Susan and the Sheriff come in. Rosalind ran back to the couch, huddled in the blankets that she had been in all day, and gripped her picture of the woman in the yellow dress as tight as she could.
"Rosalind honey? We've got some bad news to tell you, and I'm gonna need you to be real strong right now, okay?"
It couldn't be any worse than the news she got last night , she thought. He told her the best way he knew, and by the look on Rosalind's face, it was the worst thing she had ever heard. She burst into tears and clutched the piece of paper tighter. Susan ran over to the couch and consoled her, but she wouldn't stop. The sheriff stood up, helpless to do anything but watch what little of this girl's world that was left crumble before his eyes. He hated himself; not because she was sad and crying, but because the only thing he could think of at the time is that he wanted to cry right along with her.
He held a deep secret that he never told anyone. He hated coffee. It was the only excuse he had for visiting Nancy as much as he did, and he had this little girl to thank for even another excuse to come by the diner. But at that moment he knew—he knew he would never again go inside that diner.
For the fourth time in as many weeks, Rosalind had to pack her things and move to an unfamiliar house. But there was one thing in the back of her mind that gave her comfort. She wouldn't be alone.
Chapter 23
When her things were packed, she drug the red suitcase along the ground and to the car. She looked back at the house, the one place she had ever felt safe until the night before, and waved goodbye. From that moment, she knew she would never really be safe and that anything could happen anywhere. She was learning. She was learning the unspoken rules of the road or maybe life itself. Wherever you go and whatever you do, there'd be a price to pay, and if happiness was ever her goal, she figured that it was going to cost her big time.
The sheriff loaded her suitcase into the trunk of his
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