The Outliers (The Outskirts Duet #2)

I kissed the top of her head. "She's your mother. You thought she'd abandoned you and she didn't. She's here now. She's alive. Most people don't get second chances like this. People don't come back from the dead but she did. Don't you think you owe it to her to hear her out? To hear Critter out?"

She nodded against my chest but her shoulders remained stiff. She was scared and she had every right to be, but I needed her to know she wasn't going to go through this alone.

"Say," I said, pulling away so I could look in her eyes. "You have me. Don't you know by now that I'd do anything for you? When the world gets heavy on your shoulders I'll carry the weight for you. I'll be there. I'm not going anywhere. Not now. Not ever."

Sawyer's lips turned upward in a smile. It was small but at least it was real. She sniffled. "Take me to her."

I sighed in relief but it wasn't a full breath. While Richard was still out there and Sawyer and her mom were here I'd never be able to fully relax. I pulled her back against me and rested my chin on top of her head. I wasn't lying when I told her I'd carry the weight of the world on my shoulders for her.

What I didn't mention was the possibility it might crush us both.





Chapter 5





Sawyer





Critter's house was a red ranch style home with a beige stucco exterior and black shutters encasing the two small front windows. I didn't know what to expect of his house, but what I didn't expect was for it to be sitting in a field of sunflowers.

I touched the sunflower pendant hanging from my neck. The one my mother had left for me in the box beneath my bed.

I remained in the car as Finn got out and opened my door. "Are you ready?" he asked me, helping me down and squeezing my hand tightly.

"I don't think I'll ever be," I answered. Finn led me up to the front porch where Critter was sitting on one of two wicker rocking chairs. He didn't waste any time. "Sawyer, I understand you're confused, but remember, so is she. Your mother has got some moments of clarity. Sometimes they last minutes and sometimes hours. Most of the time she thinks it's twenty-two years ago."

"I'm not going to upset her," I promised. "At least, I'll try not to."

Critter nodded to me and I turned to Finn. "I think I need to do this alone," I said.

"I'll be right out here waiting," he said, kissing my knuckles before releasing me. Critter opened the screen door for me. "Last door at the end of the hall."

My eyes adjusted to the darkness inside the cozy home with plush carpet and a million picture frames on the wall. It reminded me of a homier version of the bar.

When I got to the room at the end of the hall I half expected my mother to be lying in bed but instead she was sitting on a rocking chair in the corner, knitting. Her nurse, Maddy, was sitting on another chair nearby flipping through a magazine. Maddy lifted her head when she saw me and gave me a warning look.

"Critter said it was okay," I told her.

She looked to my mother and then back to me. "Caroline, you've got a visitor," she said loudly yet sweetly. "Best way not to upset her is don't correct her if she says something that doesn't sound right and don't remind her of who you are because chances are, with how she's doing right now, she's not gonna know." With that Maddy left the room and closed the door behind her.

"Hello, there, dear. What's your name?" My mother asked when she noticed me standing at the end of the bed. She set her knitting down. A tangle of baby pink yarn with no decipherable pattern. Her blonde hair was wet and neatly combed back. She wore a pink fluffy bathrobe over pink and white striped pajamas, complete with fuzzy slippers. It was the most color I'd ever seen her wear besides the yellow tank top in the picture I'd found in the box she'd left for me. She looked healthy. Heavier.

Stronger than I'd seen in years.

Physically anyway.

"Hi," I said, feeling odd not knowing how to introduce myself to my own mother. I searched her face for any signs of recognition.

Nothing.

I ignored the growing pit in my stomach and ache in my heart.

"I'm...Sawyer."

She set her knitting down on her lap. "You must be the neighbor Critter was talking about. The new one with the little boy who keeps stealing all of the sunflowers. It's nice to finally meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," I said, sitting down on the edge of the bed where the nurse had been. "And I'm sorry about him stealing your flowers."

"Oh, that's alright. We will find out how mischievous children can be soon enough. Sorry I can't fetch you something to drink. Critter has been real insistent that I stay put since the morning sickness has really been getting to me."

"Morning sickness?" I asked. "You're pregnant?"

My mother removed the knitting and smoothed her hand over her flat stomach like it was rounded instead of indented. "Yes, six months along now and the sick feeling still hasn't subsided. Sometimes I think my daughter will be out into the world and full grown by the time it goes away."

"I'm sorry you aren't feeling well," I said, "But I'm sure Critter is taking good care of you."

"That man would lasso the moon if I asked him to. That's why I married him."

"Married?" I asked.

"Yep, right before we found out we were having a baby. It was low-key, just us in the sunflower field with a justice of the peace from the county office. I don't have a lot of family and neither does Critter. It was more special that way. Although, it won't be that way for long." My mother was beaming as she rocked and continued to knit.

"So, tell me, how did you two meet?" I asked casually, trying to seem like a curious neighbor.

"Well, it was love at first sight. I was..." she scrunched her face and shook her head like she was shaking off a bad memory. "You don't want to hear all this from me, do you? It's kind of a long story."

"I do. I really do." I urged her on, trying not to show the nervousness wreaking havoc on my heart.

I was finally going to hear the story I’d waited so long for. Part of me wanted to turn and run. Another part of me wouldn’t move if a bulldozer came through the wall.

"From the beginning if you'd like,” I offered. “The very beginning. Your beginning. I've got plenty of time.” I looked at my naked wrist like I was checking the time on a watch when I’d never even owned one. I slid to the floor and brought my knees to my chest with my back against the bed and tried not to tap my toe on the carpet although it was practically tingling to do just that.

My mother looked out the window as she recalled her story. "Well, I was born a rebel, refusing to come out into the world for a full three days." She shook her head. "My poor mother. I grew up in a religious household and when my parents both died I was passed on to the church elders to raise since I was only fifteen when they passed."

"I'm sorry," I offered, my gut twisting at the news of my grandparents that she'd never spoken about.

"No worries. It was a long time ago. But it was only then I realized that my parents were unique members of the church. In our house, we didn't have to lower our eyes and we could speak whenever we felt like we had something to say, but that wasn't the standard. Far from it. It was a severe way to grow up and I never embraced it."