by Claire Fogel
“Mom, are you really okay?”
She looked at me, and then shook her head. “Not really, but I’m just glad to be home with you and your father. I’ve decided to stay home from the bookstore this week. I called Christina and she agreed to work at the store until I’m ready to return.” She frowned. “I just don’t want to see people or answer questions right now. Chief O’Donnell wants to come over to talk to me, and I can’t put him off indefinitely. Cara, I’d like you and your father to be here when I speak to the Chief. That may make it easier.”
“Sure, Mom. Is there anything I can do for you now?”
She smiled. “Just keep singing for Rowenna. I owe her more than I can tell you.” She got up, saying, “I’m tired again, dear. I think I’ll go to bed early.”
My father didn’t say anything, just put his arm around Mom and followed her upstairs.
I was sure there were Elves near the house keeping an eye on us, so I went out on the back porch by myself, turning all the lights off first. The nights were getting cooler now so I grabbed Mom’s sweater on my way out.
There was only a crescent moon in the sky, leaving the backyard and the forest almost completely dark. Ralph had followed me outside but instead of curling up the way he usually did, he got up on his back legs, putting his front paws on the railing, his ears at attention. I wondered what he was hearing, but then the familiar wave of magic surrounded me and I knew Rowenna was above us. I began singing her song softly.
I heard her rough voice. Cara. Is Alicia all right?
“Not exactly. She doesn’t want to talk about it. She only said that you’d saved her life.”
When she came outside to see me, I wished I could give her some of my strength. Her body is strong but it will take time before she feels safe again. Please tell her I’ll be nearby every night if she needs me.
“I’ll let her know, Rowenna. I know she’s very grateful to you.”
I began singing her song again as I felt her great wings stirring the air above me, her magic gradually leaving me.
Ralph whined, sitting in front of me and putting his front paws in my lap. I felt that he just needed reassurance that everything was okay. I stroked his head and explained that the creature he’d heard and smelled was a friend and wouldn’t hurt us. He whined again, licking my hand. He also sensed that something was not quite right with Mom. Ralph had always been a sensitive animal.
I whispered, “She’ll be all right, Ralphie. She needs some time to recover; she’s not feeling very good right now. She’ll be home this week so you can give her lots of love. That may help.”
I leaned down and dropped a kiss on his velvety head. I heard him sigh. I knew he had understood every word I’d said.
We sat outside together until it got uncomfortably cool. It was still too early to go to bed, but I didn’t know what else to do with myself, so I went up to my room with Ralph at my heels. Still tense, I thought it might be a good night for a relaxing bubble bath. I started running the bath water and threw in a handful of herbal bath salts. In minutes my bathroom smelled like a leafy glade in the forest, which was exactly what I needed. I hadn’t had enough time in the forest since school started, and I missed it.
If leaning back in the tub, closing my eyes, and visualizing the forest around me could be considered meditating, then I meditated for at least a half hour. When the water cooled off, I got out, dried off and pulled my soft, oversized t-shirt over my head. My phone started ringing just as I walked out of the bathroom.
It had to be Sean.
“Hi, beautiful.” His deep voice was just what I needed.
“Hey, Sean. Did you catch up on your sleep today?”
“Yeah. How about you? You were tired when I spoke to you earlier.”
“I’m not really tired now. Just kind of at loose ends. Finished the Macbeth homework and didn’t know what to do with myself. Mom went to bed early and Dad went with her. He hasn’t taken his eyes off her all day. She’s not herself right now.”
“I’m sorry, Cara. It’s good your dad is there.”
“Yeah, it is. Hey, did you ever tell your dad about meeting your grandfathers?”
He chuckled. “You should have seen the shock on his face when I described meeting both my grandfather and great-grandfather. He didn’t even know my great-grandfather was still alive. His father, my grandfather, didn’t leave Thornewood until my grandmother passed away and my father was an adult. That left my dad with no other family, as far as he knew. With my grandfather living in Elvenwood, and the story given out that he had died too, my dad’s memories of his father began to fade, I guess.
“When Dad met my mother, he never told her about the Elven part of his family. His mother and grandmother were both human. My mom had never heard the old stories about Blackthorne Forest. She grew up in Boston.”
“Do you think he was afraid to tell her he was descended from a long line of mythical creatures?” I couldn’t help giggling. “I guess I can see where that might have been a problem.”
He chuckled. “Yeah. I seem to remember you were afraid of the same thing when we started talking about Blackthorne Forest and the old legends.”
“Yeah, I was afraid you’d head for the hills.”
“Ah. And you wanted me to stick around?”
He had me. “Yep. Do you think your father will get back in touch with his dad and grandfather now that he’s been reminded that they’re still alive and well?”
“He’s thinking about it. But I still think he’s afraid to tell my mom. That’s something he’ll have to figure out. I don’t really think Mom would freak out.”
“I remember once wondering if you and your dad had ever considered that your outstanding athletic ability might be part of your Elven heritage. Have you ever thought about it?”
“Huh. Athletics has always been such a big part of my life, I just considered myself lucky. But I guess it’s possible.”
“Well, now that I’ve given you some food for thought, I’d better say good night.” I chuckled. “Hope it won’t be keeping you awake tonight!”
Sean had a great smile, and I could almost hear him smiling.
“If your voice is the last thing I hear every night, I’m happy. Well, as long as you’re not telling me to get lost!”
I was smiling too. “I’ll see you at school in the morning. Pleasant dreams.”
“All of you,” he added softly.
Once I was off the phone, I knew I should find a way to tell Sean not to expect more from me, but this was probably not the best time. I wanted to be honest with him, but I didn’t want to hurt him.
I walked to my bedroom window. Leaning on the windowsill, I looked out at the lights shining through the trees. My father’s camp was probably full tonight. I wondered who was taking care of things in camp while my dad was staying with us.
I didn’t even have to wonder. Two seconds later, I heard a familiar soft voice in my head.
Everything’s under control here. Conor and I are taking turns filling in for your father. Everyone here is aware that his place is with your mother right now. You can call on me if there’s anything you need.
“Adam, were you reading my mind?”
I could hear him laughing. No. I was watching your house and saw you come to your window.
“Oh. Okay. I’m going to bed now. Will I see you during the week?”
If you need me. Ryan will be with you for school. He hesitated. Cara, I hope you know that you can call on me anytime. If there’s a storm, if you’re frightened or just uneasy, you can call me and I’ll come to you.
“Okay. Thanks, Adam. Good night.”
Good night, love.
I turned out the light and got into bed, thinking of Adam, of course. As annoyed as I’d been with him earlier, that’s how grateful I was feeling now.
Ralph was already snoring at the foot of my bed. I was picturing Adam’s dark blue eyes in my mind as I drifted off to sleep.
When I ran downstairs
in the morning, I was surprised to find my father standing by the stove, looking rather helpless.
It was a comical sight. I couldn’t help smiling. “What’s wrong, Dad? You look kind of lost.”
“Well, your mother always makes breakfast before sending you off to school, so I thought I should do the same. She’s still asleep and I didn’t want to wake her. She had a restless night.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, but you don’t have to make breakfast. Really.” I pulled a box of cereal out of one of the cabinets, got milk out of the fridge, and got down bowls, spoons and glasses.
“This is a non-cooked breakfast. All you have to do is pour the milk into the bowl. There’s also orange juice in the fridge. We can have an easy breakfast together.”
Looking relieved, he got the juice out of the fridge, poured a glass for each of us and sat down with me. “I thought I should at least try to fill in for your mother, but you seem to have everything under control.”
“Dad, if Mom doesn’t feel like cooking, that’s fine. She deserves a break. After all, I can make salads and sandwiches. We won’t go hungry.”
“And I can make coffee by myself now,” he said with a smile.
“Will you be here with Mom until she’s feeling better?”
He nodded. “She gets nervous if I’m out of the room for even a few minutes.” He looked frustrated. “It’s as though her bedroom is a cave she’s crawled into to lick her wounds. She’d rather avoid the rest of the world. Except for you, of course. She’s not trying to avoid you, dear.”
“I think I know how she feels. After my kidnapping, just leaving the house was scary. This house, with you and Mom, was my cave. And I was always nervous when you weren’t here. It took weeks before I began to feel more like myself.”
My father nodded. “I remember. We’ll just have to be patient with your mother. I’ll put off Chief O’Donnell as long as possible.”
“Time for me to leave for school. Kevin’s driving this week.” I stood up and dropped a kiss on his cheek. “Please give Mom my love. I’ll see you after school.”
Ryan was waiting for me on the porch, looking serious. “How’s your mother, lass? We’re all worried about her.”
Kevin had just pulled up at the curb, so I said, “Wait ‘til we get in the car. I know Kevin and Patrick will want to know too.” Ryan took my hand and we ran to the curb where Kevin’s Jeep was parked.
“Hey, short stuff, hi, Ryan. How’s Mom today?”
Ryan and I climbed into the back seat. “I think it’s going to take her some time to recover. She’s still not willing to talk about what happened. She’ll be staying home from work this week.”
“Gee, she looked good when I saw her yesterday. What happened?”
“I think she just put on a good face for you and Amy. She doesn’t want to worry anyone. But I know she’s having trouble sleeping, like I did after my kidnapping. My dad hasn’t left her side.”
“Your mom’s always been so strong, I guess I took it for granted that she could handle this. I’d like to stop by to see her again if she’s up to it. Give her my love, would you?” Kevin was quiet until we reached school.
It had started to rain so we dashed into school where Amy, Sean, Neal and Gabriel were waiting for us outside the principal’s office. Mr. Weiss motioned to me from his doorway and I walked over and handed my knives to him.
“Everyone knows what happened to your mother on Saturday. How is she?”
I gave him an abbreviated version of what I’d told Kevin and the boys. He shook his head sadly. “I’m very sorry, Cara. Please give your mother my regards.” As he walked back inside his office, he muttered, “I’m beginning to understand the knives.”
When I returned to my friends, Amy grabbed my arm. “How’s your mom today?”
I explained that Mom seemed okay physically, but that she was a little shaky emotionally. “She loved your flowers and put them in the middle of the kitchen table because they’re so cheerful. She needs a lot of cheerful around her right now.”
Looking sad, Amy said, “I’m so sorry, Cara. I thought she looked a little too good yesterday. She doesn’t want us to know how she’s really feeling, does she?”
I shook my head.
Sean put his arm around me. “We’d better get to class. See you all at lunch.” He led me down the hall, where I was stopped every few seconds by someone saying how sorry they were about what had happened to Mom. A few students asked how she was feeling, surprising me by saying they knew her from The Crescent Moon. One girl said, “I always love going into your mom’s store. I love the incense she burns and she’s always so warm and friendly. I got my favorite silver necklace there. Please tell her Paige said hi.”
I said I would, again amazed that so many people actually knew my mother.
If Sean hadn’t pulled me into class, I probably would have been out in the hall receiving good wishes for Mom for an hour. Even our Science teacher took me aside to say, “Please give your mother my regards. The entire faculty was shocked to hear what happened to her. I hope she’ll be well soon.” I thanked him and went to my seat.
Sean held my hand all through the class I barely heard. I’d have a lot of catch-up reading to do if I couldn’t get my mind back on my classes. I mentioned this to Sean on the way to our next class. “Don’t worry. I take a lot of notes. You can borrow them.”
I’d been so lost in my own memories, I hadn’t noticed all the writing he had been doing.
At lunch the message we’d been expecting came over the loudspeaker. A counselor would be available in the guidance counselor’s office after school for any students who needed help dealing with David Somers’ death. The counselor would be there until 9:00 p.m. All students were encouraged to stop by.
I looked at Sean. I whispered, “I hope you’re planning to go.”
He looked down at me, his face sad, and nodded.
Amy asked, “Are you going, Cara?”
“No, I want to get home to my mother. Kevin, I can take the bus if you want to stay for the counselor.”
“That’s okay, short stuff, I’ll be going home with you. I mean, I feel terrible about David’s death, but I didn’t really know him. He was in my PE class, but we never even spoke.”
Kevin looked at Sean, “David was on the football team. Did you get to know him at all?”
Sean shook his head. “He was really quiet. All I knew about him was that he’d just moved to Thornewood and never played football before. But he had potential; he was big and moved well. Coach was thrilled to have him.”
Shaking his head again, he muttered, “I keep thinking it should have been me.”
I grabbed his arm. “No, Sean, it shouldn’t have been you. You’ve got to stop feeling guilty about something that you couldn’t have prevented. I’m glad you’re seeing the counselor after school.”
He leaned over, brushed his face against my hair and said softly, “I’ll call you tonight.”
I knew I had to find a way to tell Sean how I felt, but this wasn’t the right time.
We said goodbye and Kevin and I headed for Art class, with Ryan and Patrick right behind us. Ryan said, “He still thinks it was his fault the other boy was killed?”
“Yeah. Sean’s carrying a heavy load of guilt. I hope the counselor can help him.”
Kevin added, “I think the counselor will have to deal with more than David’s death. A lot of students are frightened because they never thought anything like this could happen here. It’s like their sense of security has been badly damaged.” He looked at me with one eyebrow arched. “Of course, our sense of security disappeared months ago.”
Our bodyguards exchanged serious glances. Thanks to Donald Gaynes, we were all aware that our safety in the small town of Thornewood had been merely an illusion.
I wasn’t even able to focus in Art class. PE only required me to exercise and do a little tumbling, something I could do without thinking. After the final bell, I met Kevin, Patrick a
nd Ryan in the hall, and we headed for the principal’s office so I could collect my knives.
It had stopped raining, which was a relief. As the four of us walked to Kevin’s Jeep, a big kid I’d seen around school stepped in front of me abruptly, almost knocking me off my feet. He was tall but looked soft, reminding me of the Pillsbury Dough Boy.
He frowned at me, his mouth turned down in a sneer as he spit out, “David’s death is all your fault. My father told me all about you. If you and your family weren’t around, the bakery wouldn’t have burned down, there wouldn’t be guys riding around aiming guns at us, and David Somers would still be alive. You and your father are to blame for every rotten thing that’s been happening in this town.” I just stood there, shocked.
He thrust his arm out as if to push me to the ground, but Ryan and Patrick were suddenly standing in front of me, their hands on his chest, pushing the big kid back at least a foot. He almost lost his balance, yelling, “You’ve caused so much trouble, you had to bring professional bodyguards into our school. You’re a menace, Cara Connelly!”
The police officer on duty outside the main entrance was coming toward us just as the big kid’s friends started advancing on the four of us. There were at least six boys, obviously looking for trouble, one carrying a baseball bat.
The cop must have radioed for backup at the first sign of trouble because before a fight could break out, we heard sirens heading our way. Kevin looked at me, as we both breathed a sigh of relief.
I looked toward the school’s entrance just as Principal Weiss came through the door fast, clearly angry. He must have caught some of the interaction through his window. He met the police car that had just pulled up next to us. Chief O’Donnell climbed out slowly with a frown on his face. Mr. Weiss and the Chief had a quick conversation as the officer who’d called for help stood in front of the big kid’s group with his arms crossed over his chest.