“Always,” he said in a sweet voice. “I love you, Olibia.”
She clutched the phone tighter, closing her eyes briefly. Listening to Alexander’s breathing, she could almost picture him right beside her, whispering those words. In the midst of everything going on, that was exactly what she needed to hear to make her heart full…the nickname for her that belonged to him and only him.
“And I love you, Alex. Hurry home.” She remained on the line, only to be met with dead air moments later. Checking the screen, she saw the call had disconnected.
With a heavy heart, she returned her phone to her pocket and lowered herself onto one of the barstools, staring out the window at the bleakness surrounding her.
“Hungry, dear?” Colleen asked, placing a plate of eggs, toast, and fruit in front of her.
“Thanks, Colleen, but…” She pushed the dish away.
“I know eating is the last thing you probably feel like doing right now, but it’ll make you feel better. Believe me.”
She met her mother-in-law’s bloodshot eyes. As much as Olivia couldn’t stomach the thought of eating, she did it for Colleen. She needed to feel wanted, as if she were doing something to bring Melanie back, even though they were all completely helpless at the moment, Alexander included.
A stiff silence fell over the house on that Sunday morning as Olivia pushed her breakfast around her plate. She kept looking out the window, hoping to see Alexander drive up. Colleen was just as worried, but did a better job at masking her unease. Every fifteen minutes, Olivia tried Alexander’s phone, only for it to go straight to voicemail.
“He’ll be fine, ma’am,” Martin assured her.
All Olivia could do was nod.
After an hour, she couldn’t stand it anymore. She couldn’t just sit around and wait. She needed to do something to help ward off all the thoughts circling around in her head. Grabbing her coat from the hallway closet, she headed toward the door leading to the garage, Martin jumping to his feet and following behind her.
“Where are you going?” Agent Long asked, catching up to them.
“Out,” Olivia replied curtly.
“I see that. Where?”
Turning around, she sighed heavily. “Over to a friend’s.”
Agent Long placed her hands on her hips. “If you want to see any friends, I recommend having them come here.”
“I need to get out of this house,” Olivia responded through a clenched jaw. “I can’t just sit here anymore. Everywhere I turn, I’m faced with another reminder of my daughter. I need to go somewhere to clear my head.”
“Don’t you want to be here if they find anything?”
“I’ll have my cell with me. If they find anything, my husband will let me know. Goodbye, Agent Long.”
Olivia headed into the garage and followed Martin to a dark SUV, hopping into the back seat. She expected Agent Long to put up a little more of a fight. Maybe she realized it was pointless, that there was no reason to keep Olivia as a prisoner in her own house.
Jumping into the driver’s seat, Martin caught her gaze in the rearview mirror and nodded. No words needed to be spoken. He knew exactly where she wanted to go. After turning the key in the ignition, Martin drove out of the garage and down the long driveway, pulling onto the street. Silence engulfed them as Olivia watched the miles zoom by, acutely aware of her surroundings, worried someone would follow. Worried someone knew exactly what she had done. Worried someone had put the pieces together and all her work had been for nothing.
As Martin merged onto the interstate and headed north, her racing heart began to slow, but she still couldn’t relax completely. She felt as if the people in every car that passed stared at her, telling her with their eyes that they knew her secret, that she wouldn’t be able to keep it from her husband much longer. She just didn’t know how he would react.
Just before nine, Martin pulled off a residential road in Arlington. After punching a code into the gate, he navigated down a long driveway leading up to a Tudor-style home that was over a century old.
“I’ll wait in here, ma’am,” Martin said.
“Thanks, Martin. I won’t be too long.”
“Take your time.”
Church bells chimed and she glanced at the tower to her right. Stepping out of the car, she could almost make out angelic voices singing a hymn as the services began. She wondered if anyone in the congregation would pray for her daughter’s safe return.
A strong breeze blew through the air and she tugged her jacket closer, refocusing her attention on the house in front of her. A melting snowman greeted her as she trekked up the path to the front door. She smiled to herself, picturing one of her best friends building that creation with his three boys.
Climbing a set of concrete steps, she pulled back the screen door and inserted her key into the lock, letting herself into the house. A warmth surrounded her as she listened to the sounds of laughter emanating from the kitchen.
“Hello?” she called out, the chatter ceasing immediately.
“Auntie Olivia!” three small voices exclaimed, followed by the sound of chairs being pushed away. She was soon met with a barrage of arms wrapping around her legs.
An olive-skinned man rounded the corner to where she stood in the formal living area, a dish towel flung over his shoulder, his brown eyes awash with sympathy. His dark hair sported a touch of gray now that he was on the other side of forty, but he still had a youthful appearance about him.
“Livvy…”
She tried to retain her composure when she saw the worry on Mo’s face. She bit her bottom lip, taking a quick inhale of air.
“Boys, go back into the kitchen and finish eating your breakfast,” he ordered the three kids flanking her.
She gazed down at them affectionately, seeing a mixture of both their mother’s and father’s best features. They had dark, inquisitive eyes like their father, and light hair with a hint of red like their mother. Olivia didn’t know how Kiera and Mo kept up with having three boys under the age of six, with another baby due any day now. Having one child was a lot of work, even with plenty of help. Olivia didn’t know how they were going to deal with four.
Mo had taken a break from touring with his band, Groove Delay, to be here for the birth of their fourth child. He was being hounded by his record label and manager to get back on the road and promote the new album that had soared to the top of the charts in its first week. Their lives had changed almost overnight, and Olivia couldn’t be happier for them, but she knew this newfound fame was difficult on both Kiera and Mo, particularly when it came to having time for family. Kiera supported Mo with everything, assuring him they would find a new routine, a new normal, but Mo had recently confided in Olivia about how guilty he felt, particularly after being gone for over a month. Once Kiera hit her third trimester and had been ordered to remain on bedrest, he couldn’t take it anymore, putting the tour on hold to be with his family.