surprised herself at the need she felt for it. She was never one who longed to be touched or held...not since she was five and she realized that it would only end in pain. But something about this man made her want to fold into his arms and hide from the world. He was her daddy. He was the one who would always protect her. Tom Ward had been a vicious, evil stranger and somehow, instinctively she knew that this man would move heaven and earth to keep anyone from hurting her and for that moment, there was nothing in the world she feared.
When they passed that crying stage, Trevor asked Chloe to tell them about herself. She bypassed the horror story and instead said, “I started NYU right out of high school. I want to be a teacher one day.”
“Fabulous,” Samantha said. “Are you close to finishing?”
“I am, but I’ve taken some time off. I had to earn some money so that I could pay for my master’s class.” That wasn’t a complete lie, so she felt a little better about it.
Trevor and Samantha told her about their real estate business and Samantha gave her a tour of the house. It was five bedrooms and four baths and it had an office and a game room and Chloe just couldn’t get over how welcoming and unassuming the whole thing was.
Samantha completely broke down again when they got to Sarah’s room and it was Chloe who took the older woman into her arms and offered her comfort. When Samantha was able to breathe once more she said, “I’m so sorry. This is just so...”
“Please don’t apologize. You don’t have anything to be sorry for. I would like to ask you a favor though.”
“Anything,” Samantha said. It was a strange place for her to be in, but Chloe believed her. At that moment Samantha was like a fairy godmother, waiting to grant Chloe’s every wish. She found herself glad she wasn’t a scam artist. These poor people seemed so vulnerable that she wouldn’t doubt they’d be easy to take advantage of.
“Can I have a few moments here in Sarah’s room...alone?”
Samantha didn’t speak. She looked like she feared she would start crying again. Instead she offered a smile and a nod. Then she squeezed Chloe’s hand and closed the door as she left. Chloe turned and looked back across the room. It was probably just as Sarah left it before going off to college and meeting the love of her life. Chloe shuddered at that. How alike were the two sisters who had never met...that they’d fallen for the same man?
The room could have been on the cover of a magazine. The large bed was covered in a soft cream comforter and stacked high with comfortable looking pillows. The cream colored curtains were cotton eyelet fabric and tied back with wide bows. The two windows curved outward and were framed in dark oak and each contained a pale pink cushion on the seat tucked inside of it. The closet had double doors, and matched the oak trim around the windows. The dresser was heavy oak and looked like it might be antique although it was obviously well cared for. The mirror above it showed Chloe a reflection of the woman who should have grown up here.
Chloe walked over near the dresser and picked up one of the many perfume bottles there. She brought it to her nose and smelled it. It was a fresh, clean scent...the kind that Chloe herself like to wear. She opened the closet and choked up when she saw that one whole side was lined with stuffed animals and dolls, likely all of the important ones from her sister’s happy childhood. Chloe doubted that Marg kept anything of hers after she left home, not that there would have been much to keep.
There was a chair that sat next to the bed and it was embroidered in fine green silk and a bookshelf that sat next to it with books that ranged from early reader and Dr. Seuss to Romance novels and Classics. Chloe went over and picked up a few up. They were titles that she’d read herself. It was so strange, like being in a parallel universe where another person...the exact
When they passed that crying stage, Trevor asked Chloe to tell them about herself. She bypassed the horror story and instead said, “I started NYU right out of high school. I want to be a teacher one day.”
“Fabulous,” Samantha said. “Are you close to finishing?”
“I am, but I’ve taken some time off. I had to earn some money so that I could pay for my master’s class.” That wasn’t a complete lie, so she felt a little better about it.
Trevor and Samantha told her about their real estate business and Samantha gave her a tour of the house. It was five bedrooms and four baths and it had an office and a game room and Chloe just couldn’t get over how welcoming and unassuming the whole thing was.
Samantha completely broke down again when they got to Sarah’s room and it was Chloe who took the older woman into her arms and offered her comfort. When Samantha was able to breathe once more she said, “I’m so sorry. This is just so...”
“Please don’t apologize. You don’t have anything to be sorry for. I would like to ask you a favor though.”
“Anything,” Samantha said. It was a strange place for her to be in, but Chloe believed her. At that moment Samantha was like a fairy godmother, waiting to grant Chloe’s every wish. She found herself glad she wasn’t a scam artist. These poor people seemed so vulnerable that she wouldn’t doubt they’d be easy to take advantage of.
“Can I have a few moments here in Sarah’s room...alone?”
Samantha didn’t speak. She looked like she feared she would start crying again. Instead she offered a smile and a nod. Then she squeezed Chloe’s hand and closed the door as she left. Chloe turned and looked back across the room. It was probably just as Sarah left it before going off to college and meeting the love of her life. Chloe shuddered at that. How alike were the two sisters who had never met...that they’d fallen for the same man?
The room could have been on the cover of a magazine. The large bed was covered in a soft cream comforter and stacked high with comfortable looking pillows. The cream colored curtains were cotton eyelet fabric and tied back with wide bows. The two windows curved outward and were framed in dark oak and each contained a pale pink cushion on the seat tucked inside of it. The closet had double doors, and matched the oak trim around the windows. The dresser was heavy oak and looked like it might be antique although it was obviously well cared for. The mirror above it showed Chloe a reflection of the woman who should have grown up here.
Chloe walked over near the dresser and picked up one of the many perfume bottles there. She brought it to her nose and smelled it. It was a fresh, clean scent...the kind that Chloe herself like to wear. She opened the closet and choked up when she saw that one whole side was lined with stuffed animals and dolls, likely all of the important ones from her sister’s happy childhood. Chloe doubted that Marg kept anything of hers after she left home, not that there would have been much to keep.
There was a chair that sat next to the bed and it was embroidered in fine green silk and a bookshelf that sat next to it with books that ranged from early reader and Dr. Seuss to Romance novels and Classics. Chloe went over and picked up a few up. They were titles that she’d read herself. It was so strange, like being in a parallel universe where another person...the exact
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