Trixie couldn’t answer through the tears.
Her sister’s tone turned increasingly alarmed. “Where are you, Trix? Please let me know you’re okay. We love you. Nothing can change that.”
“I…” She swallowed a gulp of air, grabbed a tissue and blew her nose. “I’m coming home.”
Jessa gasped. “When?”
“Now. I’m in Jasper Lake.” She blotted a stray tear with the soppy tissue.
“Hold tight. Don’t go anywhere. Does anyone know you’re back yet?” Once again, Jessa’s words tumbled quickly from her mouth.
“Only you.” She rubbed her arms after a sudden chill passed over her.
“Where are you? At Mom and Dad’s?”
She shook her head though no one was there to see. “Sitting on the side of the road near Tippy’s.”
“I’ll come meet you. I’ll be there in ten minutes tops.”
“No, …” Trixie tried to extinguish her fears with her exhale, and drew in a breath of resolve. “Can you go to Mom and Dad’s?”
“Okay.” Jessa’s reaction came off guarded, and Trixie couldn’t blame her. “You’ll show up there, right?”
“Yes. I’ll head there now.”
“Drive safe.” The sound of a door closing echoed over the line. “I’m leaving the house and will be there in five minutes.”
“You’ll probably beat me there, but I’m coming.” She added weakly, “Promise.”
More noise and the purr of an engine. “I can stay on the phone with you.”
A brittle laugh squeaked through Trixie’s lips. “You don’t have to. My word’s probably not worth much right now, but I promise I’ll be there.”
“All right.” Even so, Jessa didn’t end the call.
“I’m hanging up so I can drive.” She managed a weak smile. Through it all, her sister still loved her.
She thought of calling Phoebe again, but decided to get back on the road. She had no doubt Jessa was already blowing up their sister’s phone until she answered. “Almost home, my sweet Alice. Almost home.”
As though on auto-pilot, she followed the path to her parent’s house. She’d made the drive from town hundreds—thousands—of times over the years, but never in a manner such as this. Never with moments of poignant regret and love and yearning hanging over her like clouds caught between a treacherous dark storm and a serene blue sky.
She turned onto the final road, dug her nails into the wheel.
Peace couldn’t come yet. Not until she saw her family, and they met Alice. Knew why she’d left and what she’d done. Only then could she begin to make amends and find that peace she desperately sought.
Both of her parents’ cars were in the driveway, along with Jessa’s, and Phoebe’s. How had Phoebe gotten there already unless she’d already been there? But on a Monday afternoon? Why wasn’t anyone working? Whatever the reason, she was glad to have this done and over with in one swoop. There’d be more individual conversations to come, but the hardest one would come now.
“It’s now or never, little one.” She sucked in a long breath, holding it until her lungs hurt.
Exhaling, she saw her family peeking through the front windows. The scene would have made her laugh if she wasn’t so nervous. She reached over and clasped the door handle. Its warmth gave her courage, no matter how superficial.
She stepped out, and before she could open the rear door, her family rushed from the house and surrounded her. Four people hugged her at once. All Trixie could do was let their love and welcoming arms hold her as her tears of rejoicing fell onto the shoulders of her loved ones.
Overwhelmed, she freed herself of everyone but her mother. She couldn’t let go of her yet, not after realizing the torment she’d put her through since she’d left. Not after the newfound appreciation she’d discovered for mothers. She needed this moment of contact. “I love you, Mom.”
“I love you too, my Bebe.”
The pet name, left over from Trixie’s early toddler days when Beatrix was too difficult to pronounce and it came out sounding likebeebee,threatened a fresh torrent of tears. No one called her that anymore, except for Mom. When she entered kindergarten, her teacher read the class a story about a girl named Beatrix as well, but she went by Trixie.
