Life and Other Complications

by Heather Mullaly

  Over these last two months, I’ve realized that what happened with Rick wasn’t my fault. You helped me with that. Because I know that there is nothing you could have done to deserve what Rick did to you. And realizing that helped me to be a little gentler with myself. We were victims of a monster who knew exactly how to lure us into loving him, trusting him. And then once the hook was set, he didn’t just betray that trust, he made sure that we blamed ourselves for what happened. He set us up.

  I still didn’t know your real name. But I knew I was going to fight for you.

  Because you are worth fighting for.

  I felt power surging through me. The power of an avenging angel who had finally been set loose. I was ready to inflict justice. Not with a sword or fire, but with something far more dangerous. The truth.

  Luke and Caroline opened the doors for me, and I walked into that courtroom with enough force to make every head turn. When Rick looked at me, I saw it. A flash of fear. In another second, it was gone, covered up by his usual calm expression. But I knew. He had seen the change in me.

  I’m not a terrified little girl anymore.

  I don’t believe his lies.

  I won’t be defined by his disease.

  Richard Wallace has lost his power over me.

  And without his control containing me, I’ve become a force to be reckoned with.

  Rick was right to be afraid.

  Because everything he did in secret was about to come into the light.

  -Aly

  Saturday, August 6

  Tonight, for the first time in more than a century, every one of the Ballentine’s windows was full of light. The north wing is complete, marking the end of the construction. So tonight, Mrs. Reese threw a cocktail party to celebrate the opening of the new wing and the end of the renovations. Hundreds of people came, including all of the kids from Group.

  The entire north wing was open, but most of the guests ended up in the mural room. They were delighted by the work Mrs. Reese had commissioned. I couldn’t stop looking at the wall she had conceded.

  I finished the mural room three days after Judge Baxter found Richard Wallace guilty of seventeen separate assaults against Catalina’s daughter. I know why the girl wasn’t in the courtroom. And I’m glad she wasn’t there for the testimony. But I wish she could have heard the judge sentence Rick to sixty years without parole for his “monstrous crimes.” Just like I wish she could see the finished mural—especially the little girl who survived the fire.

  A year ago, I would have said that surviving was enough. But not anymore. I’ve realized there is a world of difference between survival and restoration.

  I wanted to see that little girl restored.

  Putting her back together was the most difficult artistic task I have ever attempted. Mrs. Reese was right. It would have been easier to tear out the wall and start again. But the things that matter are rarely easy. And she was worth the time and the effort.

  “She’s beautiful,” Luke said, sliding an arm around me.

  “She looks like she’s about to step out of the wall and dance,” Caroline said. “Which would be fantastic, by the way.”

  “I hope she does,” I said.

  After so many years trapped in a blackened tomb, it’s time for her to come alive again.

  Dear _____,

  I don’t know your name. But I know a few things about you. I know that you’ve felt isolated in your heartache and burdened by your secrets. I know that you sometimes wonder if you’re too broken to ever be genuinely loved.

  This is by far the hardest story I’ve ever written. And there were so many days when I wanted to give up and write something easy. But I didn’t. Because of you.

  You needed to be reminded that you are strong, and you are brave. And no matter how dark these last few chapters of your life have been, your story isn’t finished. It’s just beginning.

  I hope that you’ll write your name on the space I left for you on the dedication page. Because I wrote this book for you.

  -Heather

  If you enjoyed this book, and have two or three minutes, would you write a review on Amazon or Goodreads? I would greatly appreciate it! And be sure to visit me at www.heathermullaly.com.

  Acknowledgements

  Mom and Dad, thank you for being the amazing people that you are, for loving me, believing in me, and teaching me to pursue dreams with tenacity.

  Chris, thank you for calling me an author long before I was willing to use the term. Words have power, and yours helped me to see past my doubts.

  Tom, my love, my best friend, and biggest supporter in all things, thank you for your unwavering love and encouragement.

  Hannah, Elizabeth, and Julia, thank you for putting up with those moments when Mom was lost in the realm of writing.

  Meg Whelpley, Allison Yoder, and Erin Chinn, my fearless beta readers, thank you for your thoughts, your time, and your willingness to walk with me along this long journey. Your friendship is priceless to me.

  Sarah Aronson and my friends at The Highlights Foundation, thank you for believing in this story before I did.

  Sara Preston, Rebecca Aronson, and Stephanie Cohen thank you for applying your editing prowess to Aly’s story. You each helped this book to become a better version of itself.

  Isaiah 61:1

  About the Author

  Heather Mullaly is a passionate believer in the power of story. When she isn’t writing them, reading them, or listening to them, she can usually be found baking something that involves chocolate, thinking up new story ideas before she’s finished the two she’s currently writing, or hanging out with her family, who happen to be even more fantastic than the characters in her head.