The Night Sister

“They’ll put her in foster care!” Piper protested.

“Which might mean she’d go into a clean, stable home where she’d be taken care of, right?”

“It just seems so awful,” Piper said.

“More awful than leaving her alone in that trailer?”

Piper didn’t respond.

“If you have a better idea, I’m open to hearing it,” Margot said.

I keep her, Piper thought. I bundle her up and bring her home to California with me. I could keep her safe. Get her some grief-and-trauma counseling. Give her the life she deserves.

“Look, just bring her to our house, and we’ll sort it out. Get her out of that shithole.”

“Okay,” Piper said. “We’re on our way.”

—

One hour later, Lou was sitting cross-legged on Margot’s bed and teaching her new rules for Crazy Eights, cards fanned out expertly in her hands.

“Fours are a skip card,” she explained, eyes lit up, clearly delighted to be teaching an adult. “I play one, and the next player’s turn gets skipped. Queens make the game reverse directions. If you play a jack, the next player has to pick up four cards. Get it?”

“I think so,” Margot said. “Why don’t we just start playing, and you can help me out as we go along?”

Lou nodded enthusiastically.

“Are you sure you two will be okay for an hour or so?” Piper asked. Jason had called to say he’d be working late. There had been a bad accident out on River Road—a tractor trailer had overturned. Margot hadn’t told him about Lou. She said he’d probably be pissed off about it on the phone, but once he came home and was with her, saw how adorable she was, it would be impossible to blame Margot and Piper for deciding to take her in. What else were they supposed to do?

Piper had left a note for Crystal on the kitchen table: “Took Lou to my sister Margot’s. 185 Hillstead Rd.” She’d added Margot and Jason’s home number and her own cell-phone number. “CALL ME!” she wrote in all caps, underlined.

“We’ll be fine,” Margot said. “Won’t we, Lou?”

The little girl nodded. Her hair was combed and pulled back in a French braid Piper had done. She still smelled faintly of peaches. She wore jeans and a long-sleeved pink shirt with a sparkly peace sign on the chest. Margot seemed to be loving the company, and Lou had taken to Margot right away. She had squealed with delight when Margot let her feel the baby kicking.

“How about if I stop and pick up a pizza on the way home?” Piper suggested.

“Pepperoni!” Lou chirped.

“Pepperoni it is,” Piper promised.

“Maybe just a salad for me,” Margot said. “Believe it or not, I’m still not all that hungry.”

“Okay,” Piper said, “I’m off. I’ll be back in an hour or so.”

“Where are you going, anyway?” Lou asked, looking at Piper over her hand of cards.

“Out to visit an old friend,” Piper said. She thought it was best not to mention that it was Lou’s grandmother she was going to see. She’d heard Rose and Lou had been close, but didn’t know the details of what had happened to their relationship when Rose became ill. The last thing the little girl needed was to be reminded of another lost family member.

Lou smiled sweetly. “Tell her I said hello,” she said, and in that uncomfortable instant, Piper was sure Lou knew exactly who she was going to see and why.





Piper