The Piper

ELEVEN




It was Olivia, not Teddy, who cried on the way home. Olivia’s fingertips trembled on the steering wheel.

‘Are you scared to go home, Mommy?’ Teddy asked.

‘No, I am not.’

‘But you’re crying.’

‘Aunt Charlotte hurt my feelings, that’s all.’

‘Maybe we’re not safe without a daddy in the house.’

‘We’re safe.’

‘But I’m scared. Do you believe in ghosts, Mommy?’

‘Sometimes. But the kind of ghosts I believe in are family. I think my mama and daddy are watching over us. And so is Uncle Chris. But that doesn’t scare me, that makes me feel safe.’

‘Do you think they’re in the house?’

‘I don’t think it has anything to do with the house, Teddy. I just think that when people who love you die and pass over they keep an eye out. To watch over you, like guardian angels. You’re not afraid of guardian angels are you?’

‘No. Is that what we have in our house?’

‘That’s what I think.’

‘Then we don’t need to be scared?’

‘No, Teddy, we don’t need to be scared.’

Olivia signaled left and turned onto Westwood, then took a right on Sutherland to her childhood home. She put the turn signal on, waiting for traffic to clear before she turned left into the driveway. There was a lot of traffic here now, they’d have to keep a close eye out on Winston and keep him out of the street.

It was full dark now, and the porch light was on and comforting.

Olivia had a sudden memory of herself at Teddy’s age, hiding behind the azalea bushes, playing kick the can. There were plenty of good memories here in this house. Lots of happy times. She still had the old Mystery Date game she and Emily used to play. Stuffed in a box somewhere. She and Teddy had been looking for it since the last two moves.

‘Teddy, you left your bedroom light on again. I know I told you to turn it off.’

‘But I did, Mommy, I checked special before we left.’

Olivia pulled the Jeep up into the driveway that circled the side of the house and parked outside the sunroom window, near the backyard gate. The garage was rotting and unsafe. For now she kept it locked.

Teddy jumped out of the car and ran to the darkened window, rapping on the glass and calling Winston’s name.

‘Winston, are you in there? Winston, are you okay? I think I see him, Mommy. He has his paws on the glass.’

The light in the sunroom flicked on. Olivia dropped her car keys. Winston had his nose to the glass, making snout marks, wagging his tail.

Everything was in place. The round black iron table with Italian tile that Hugh and Olivia had bought in Santa Barbara, covered in the yellow cotton table cloth, an open bottle of wine by the fruit bowl, that never held any fruit, just as they’d left it that morning. A charming room. The happiest room in the house.

Teddy was quiet, save for the noise of her deep, panicked breaths. Her hands were fists tucked under her chin.

‘Mommy. Do you think a guardian angel turned on that light?’

‘You know what I think, Teddy? Here’s what I think. I bet your Uncle Chris and Aunt Charlotte had one of those timers set up. You know, the ones that turn lights on and off automatically.’

‘Like we had in California? So bad guys won’t know when you’re not home?’

‘Yeah, Teddy. Like that. And when Aunt Charlotte got everything out of the house, she probably just forgot it. Like those plates we found in the cabinet over the refrigerator. Every time you move, you usually leave something behind.’

‘Mommy, do you think we should go back to California? Do you think you and Daddy could just make up and get married again?’

‘No, honey, we can’t. This is our home now, Teddy. Come on, let’s hold hands.’