“No, it won’t bother me.” She smiled. “And I’d like to see you. You’ve been the mystery in this puzzle. Joe and I have been searching for you and looking at hundreds of pictures to try to locate you. We couldn’t find one until we saw you in that choir photo.”
“Elena didn’t want me to be in that photo. But she found out too late to stop it.” Her lips were suddenly tight with pain, her eyes glittering with tears. “She always told me that we still had to be careful. Sometimes, I didn’t believe her. I should have believed her.”
“The young always believe the best,” Eve said gently. “Elena considered it her duty to protect you from the possibility that the best wouldn’t happen. She loved you very much.”
Cara nodded. “I loved her, too.” Two tears rolled down her cheeks. “Now she’s gone, Eve.”
She wanted to reach out and hold her. Instead, she took her hand. “Not really gone.”
“I know,” she whispered. “She’s with Jenny. Jenny said that she’d make sure that she was safe and happy before she left her.”
Eve stiffened. “She did?”
Cara nodded. “But it’s still hard. I miss her.”
“Of course you do.” She paused. “When did Jenny tell you that?”
“In the dream tonight. I was having a nightmare, and suddenly Jenny was there, and all the bad stuff went away.”
“I … see. And do you often dream about Jenny?”
“No, only lately. The first time was when we were still at the apartment, and I didn’t know anything was wrong.” She was smiling eagerly again. “It was so good to see her. I thought she was gone, but there she was, just like before.” Her smile faded. “You think I’m crazy? I know she’s dead. I knew it before she told me in that first dream. But she was there.”
“No, I don’t think you’re crazy. I think something very special happened to you because of the bond between you and Jenny.”
“She told me that you’d understand that first time she came to me. She said, Go to Eve. You’ll begin to feel what she’s feeling, just like I do. I didn’t know what she meant. I didn’t know who she was talking about.”
A ripple of shock went through Eve. “She was probably preparing you to accept me if I tried to help you get away from Walsh.”
“I don’t know.” She frowned. “But I don’t think so. Because she said something like that again tonight. She said, Go to Eve and take care of her. She’ll need you. And you’ll need her.”
“But you said yourself that it was a dream, Cara,” Eve said gently.
“You don’t want me? That’s okay.” She was speaking quickly. “But just let me stay and take care of you for a while. I promised her. I won’t get in your way.”
“Cara…”
“It’s okay.” She released Eve’s hand and leaned back in the chair. “Now go to sleep, and I’ll be quiet and not bother you.”
“You’re not bothering me.”
“I’ll just turn out the lamp.” The room was plunged into darkness.
So that Eve wouldn’t see the hurt she had inflicted by that gentle reminder.
But she knew it was there, and she wanted to heal it. How to do it when the situation was bewildering, and promises couldn’t be given? It reminded her of that similar moment with Jenny in the early days when she had first come to her. But Cara was no spirit, she had her entire life to live, and mistakes could be made so easily.
“Cara, we’ll work this out. I only want you to be happy and safe.”
“I know. Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”
“Yes, you will,” Eve said firmly. “I’ll make sure of it. Just hold on and give me a little time.”
“I’ll hold on as long as you let me, Eve…”
*
Joe Quinn was standing in the hall when Margaret came out of the room. “Eve’s going to let her stay?”
Margaret nodded. “She won’t be a bother to her, Joe. She’s a good kid.”
“Even good kids can cause disturbance. Eve doesn’t need it.”
“I told Eve you’d be checking in on her. Judge for yourself.”