Not by Sight A Novel

CHAPTER 7

Abby sat with Jay on the pier at Angel View, her legs dangling, her bare toes skimming the water. She watched as the sun slowly dipped below the western horizon, the sky painted with fiery swirls of crimson, purple, and hot pink. The June breeze was warmer than it had been earlier in the day, the humidity thicker, and the fragrance of honeysuckle sweet and pervasive.

Her thoughts zigzagged in every direction like the aquatic insects that shot across the top of the water. What if Ella turned out to be Riley Jo? Why wasn’t she with their father? Was this just another wild-goose chase that would bring embarrassment and heartache to her family? Or was she on the brink of discovering the truth of why her father and sister had disappeared?

“You gonna tell me what happened today?” Jay said. “When you called and asked me to meet you here, you sounded upset. I assumed you wanted to talk.”

“I didn’t want to be alone.” Abby glanced over at him. “You’re the only person I’m comfortable being with even when I don’t know what to say.”

“Okay then.” Jay lifted his cap and wiped his forehead. “I’m glad I’m here, in case you want to talk. Or even if you don’t.”

Abby sat wrapped in comfortable silence as the last vestiges of light faded away, leaving only darkness and bringing with it a chorus of crickets. She got lost in the moment but never did escape that nagging feeling in her gut that she needed to find Ella.

“Did you see that?” Jay said.

“What?”

“A lightning bug! There it went again.”

Abby spotted a tiny yellow flicker. And then another. And another until the night seemed to come alive.

She heard herself giggling, her mind wandering back to one summer night when her family was camping on the Buffalo River. Neither Jesse nor Riley Jo was born yet, and Abby couldn’t have been older than five or six …

Abby spotted a beam of light coming up the path from the river. Hawk came racing over to her and flopped down in the lawn chair next to her.

“Look what I found.” Hawk held up a jar with several insects that seemed to turn on and off like lightbulbs. “Fireflies.”

Abby drew back. “Will they sting me?”

“No, they’re tame as anything. It’s so cool how they light up the night.” Hawk sprang to his feet and pulled her by the arm. “Come on. I want to show you something.”

Daddy came out of the tent. “Did I hear you say you spotted fireflies?”

“Yeah, they’re everywhere,” Hawk said. “We need to get away from the lanterns so Abby can see them.”

“See what?” Mama hollered from inside the tent.

“Come with us,” Hawk said. “I’m taking Abby to the river to see the fireflies.”

A minute later, Abby was covered in insect repellent and flanked by her mother and father, each holding her hand, her brother lighting the way with the flashlight.

Hawk stopped on a dry stretch of bank and sat cross-legged on the ground. “This is far enough.”

Abby sat between her mother and father as Hawk turned off the flashlight. “Keep your eyes peeled,” he said.

Within seconds, the inky blackness, near and far, was alight with hundreds—thousands—of tiny Tinker Bells, which seemed even more numerous because their flickering lights were reflected in the river. Abby had never seen anything like it. It was magical.

Daddy grabbed at something. “Gotcha.” He rolled over on his knees in front of Abby. “Don’t be scared. Fireflies won’t hurt you. Let me show you.”

He cupped his hands together and gave her a peek of the flickering light coming from the bug he had captured. “Here, princess. You hold it.”

Daddy carefully transferred the firefly to Abby’s palm and closed her hands around it.

Abby laughed. “It tickles.” She opened her hand, and the firefly took flight, joining the magnificent festival of lights that made it feel like Christmas in summertime.

Mama reached up as if to touch the tiny bursts of yellow light that were all around them, her laughter like music. She seemed so alive and full of joy …

Jay’s voice brought Abby back to the present.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “Did you ask me something?”

“I just wondered what had you so tickled. What were you thinking about?”

Abby told him about her first encounter with fireflies. “I’ve seen a million of them since then, but the light show has never been quite as spectacular as it was that night. I don’t know if it’s because it was the first time or because it was such a happy family memory.” Abby exhaled. “I miss that so much. Our family doesn’t really feel like a family without Daddy.”

“But you’ve got your mom and grandpa and your brothers,” Jay said. “That’s a family.”

“I guess. But there’s a big hole that no one else can fill.”

Jay nodded. “I get that. I still have my dad, but there’s a big void when we’re together, and I can tell he’d rather be somewhere else.”

Abby looked out at the thousands of flickering lights illuminating the June night. “I miss mine so much. Part of me still thinks he’s going to come home and all this will have been a nightmare.”

She reached in her waistband and took out her cell phone. Why not go ahead and tell Jay everything? At least he wouldn’t be dismissive.

“The reason I’m so somber,” she said, “is I saw a girl at Murchison’s Feed Store yesterday. She was the spitting image of Riley Jo. And about the age she would be now. Thankfully, I had my wits about me enough to take a picture of her.” Abby pulled the photo up on the screen and handed her cell phone to Jay. “She even has blue eyes.”

“Cute kid,” Jay said. “She reminds me of Jesse. I mean, they could be related. Maybe it’s the dark hair and blue eyes.”

“Exactly. But no one else in my family thinks it’s worth pursuing.”

She gave Jay a complete rundown on everything she had done since seeing the girl, including going back to Murchison’s and pretending she had found the girl’s doll and wanted to return it.

“Wow, that’s some detective work.” Jay studied the picture of the girl. “So what does your family think now?”

“I only told Grandpa. Mama and Hawk don’t care.”

“I doubt that,” Jay said. “Maybe they just don’t believe it could be her.”

Abby kicked the water, creating more splash than she had intended. “I’m sure everyone thinks I’m obsessing because we just passed another anniversary.”

Jay rubbed the stubble on his chin. “Is that a possibility? It would certainly be understandable,” he quickly added.

Nothing like an open and honest relationship. Abby snatched the phone from his hand. “Look, I saw what I saw. You said yourself the girl looks like Jesse.”

“What do you think y’all should do about it?”

“I think we should find out more about Ella.”

“How would you do that?” Jay said. “You asked around town.”

“Only on Main Street.”

“You think you can go up and down every street in Foggy Ridge and ask people if they know where this girl lives? Abby, do you know how desperate that sounds?”

“Well, maybe I am desperate! I’ll regret it the rest of my life if I just blow it off. I have to try to find Ella.”

“Why don’t you go talk to the sheriff?”

“And tell him what—that this little girl looks like I imagine my sister would look now? Grandpa said the authorities won’t start investigating again based on just that. Besides, Mama would freak if I did that without her permission.”

“You don’t think she’d go for the idea?”

Abby shook her head. “Absolutely not. She made it clear that she doesn’t want to hear another word about it.”

“Then what can you do?”

Abby shrugged. “I’ll think of something. It’s the first time I’ve felt hope in a long time. Maybe if I just step out in faith, God will help me find Riley Jo.”

“You mean find Ella.”

“Right now, they seem like one and the same to me.”

Jay cracked his knuckles and was quiet for half a minute. “Abby, even if you could find Ella, how would you go about determining whether she was your sister?”

“All this just happened. I haven’t figured it out yet, all right?”

“Hey, don’t be mad at me for asking honest questions. This is pretty important. If this girl is your sister, then where is your dad? You have to deal with that, too.”

“Jay, you’re being a real pain. That’s not what I need right now!” Abby blinked the stinging from her eyes. She was not letting him dissuade her from doing this.

“I’m a practical kind of guy. I think you should have a plan before you jump in with both feet.”

Abby twirled a lock of hair around her finger. “My plan is to find Ella. I’m going back to town and ask around some more—places people would be likely to take children: ice-cream parlors, candy stores, gift shops, toy stores, pizza places, burger shops.”

“People might remember her because of the twins,” Jay said. “That’s a good way to jog their memory. I could help you ask around.”

“Thanks, but people are so protective of kids nowadays, I just think they’d be more willing to talk to a female.”

“Whatever. I wish there was something I could do to help you.”

“There is. Just listen and don’t try to talk me out of it. Or tell me I sound desperate. I need to do this.”

“Then go for it. I’ll be the wind in your sails.”

Abby felt a sting and slapped her arm. “Oh, great. I forgot to use insect repellent. The mosquitoes will eat me alive.”

Jay stood and stepped into his Birkenstocks, then pulled her to her feet.

“How about I take you to Sweet Stuff and buy you a banana boat? As my aunt Clara used to say, ‘Ain’t nothin’ that ails a body or mind that can’t be fixed at Sweet Stuff.’”

“That does sound good,” Abby said.

“And it’s another place you can check to see if anyone working there recognizes Ella.”



An hour and a half later, Abby slid out of Jay’s truck. She shut the door and leaned on the open window.

“I had fun,” she said. “Thanks again for being a friend. It means a lot to me that I can tell you whatever’s on my mind.”

Jay smiled. “The nice thing about having a girl for my best friend is not having to do the talking.”

Abby laughed. “You’re a good listener. I know I talk too much.”

“I’d say it’s about right. See you tomorrow. Call or text me if you hear anything about Ella.”

“I will. Good night.”

Abby waved as Jay made a U-turn and headed back down the only road to town.

She walked up on the porch and opened the front door. Grandpa Buck was in his chair, watching a baseball game.

Her mother walked out of the kitchen, hands on her hips. “There you are. I was starting to worry. Hawk’s down at the pier, fishing for bream. He called and said you and Jay weren’t there.”

“We were, until the mosquitoes drove us away. We went down to Sweet Stuff and had a banana boat.”

“You have a cell phone.” Mama came over and put her arms around Abby. “Just let me know where you are so I won’t worry. That’s the one rock-solid rule in this family.”

“Sorry,” Abby said. “I should have called.”

Her mother squeezed her affectionately and then let go. “Now that we have that straight … how were the banana boats?”

“To die for. They haven’t changed since I was little.”

“Can’t improve on perfection,” Grandpa Buck said.

“Abby got a banana boat?” Jesse ran into the living room and came to a screeching halt in front of their mother. “Can we get one?” Jesse’s round blue eyes were compelling. “Pleeease?”

Grandpa chuckled. “Sounds to me like we’re going to Sweet Stuff.”

Mama tapped Jesse on the nose. “All right. Go wash your face and put a shirt on.”

“Yay!”

Abby smiled as Jesse turned on his heel and raced upstairs.

“You want to go with us and keep us company?” Mama said.

Abby shook her head. “Thanks, but I need to do my laundry. I don’t have anything clean for work in the morning.”

Mama stared at Abby as if she were probing her thoughts. “Honey, are we okay?”

Hardly. “What do you mean?”

“I’m sure I sounded harsh yesterday when you showed me the picture you’d taken of the little girl. I apologize if I hurt your feelings—”

“Don’t worry about it. I said I wouldn’t bother you with it anymore, and I won’t.”

Her mother sighed. “I’m doing the best I can to cope in my own way.”

“So am I. We’ll just have to respect the differences.”

“Fair enough. But respect is the operative word here.”

Abby started to say something and then didn’t. She did respect her mother. But it was beyond comprehension that Mama could just blow off the girl’s picture without any thoughtful consideration that it could be her daughter.

“If you have something to say, say it.”

“I respect you”—Abby avoided eye contact—“but I just don’t get how you can look the other way when the girl’s face looks just like Riley Jo’s.”

“Abby, do you think you’re the only one in the family who has done a double take of a man or young girl that reminds us of your father or Riley Jo?” Mama spoke softly, her tone void of anger. “We just don’t talk about it. I’ve been through this dozens of times myself. I’ve learned the hard way not to let my imagination open that wound. They’re gone. They’re not coming back. You have to reach acceptance in your own way. But I have. And want to go forward now. I can’t go back to false hope. I just can’t.”

Abby nodded. “I get it.” She didn’t. But she’d been lectured enough. “I need to get started on my laundry. Enjoy the banana boats.”

Abby turned and walked toward her room, her heart flooded with doubt. What if Mama was right? What if this was false hope … and there really wasn’t any hope at all?