Olive’s face crumpled. “Tess read.”
Oh, please, child, don’t make this harder.“I know,” Tessa whispered, kissing her temple. “I know you like when I read.”
Suddenly, Olive’s arms tightened around Tessa’s neck and a sob escaped.
Tessa held her, rocking slightly, letting her cry without trying to stop it too fast. Shehatedchange. Tessa could feel the fear in her bones.
“Olive, listen to me,” Tessa whispered, voice low and sure. “You are going to be okay. You are loved so much. You are loved by Mommy. You are loved by…a lot of people. You are loved by me.”
Olive sobbed quietly. “Stay.”
Tessa’s eyes burned. “You do have to go,” she said, choosing honesty because Olive deserved it. “But you can take all your things. You can take your jewelry bag. You can take your sand toys. You can take your books. You can take every single animal friend, and you can take my love with you.”
Olive hiccupped, her breath catching.
“And you keep all our special memories right here…” She pressed her hand over Olive’s heart. “In your vault.”
Her blue eyes flashed, as if she actually understood that.
After a moment, Tessa let go and finished the job of packing, snagging a sturdy shopping bag for the animals.
Olive watched every motion with silent intensity, her eyes tracking the disappearance of her world.
Tessa zipped the suitcase slowly, the sound loud in the quiet room. Then she pressed her forehead gently to Olive’s.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you for being my little pal for three weeks.”
Olive’s voice was barely audible. “Tess…mine.”
“Yes, dear one, I’ll always be yours.”
A soft knock came at the bedroom door. Dusty stood there, his gaze taking in Olive’s tear-streaked face and Tessa’s trembling hands.
“Hey,” he said softly. “How are we doing in here?”
Tessa tried to breathe. “We’re…getting there.”
Dusty nodded, stepping in slowly. “Okay. Time to transition.”
She smiled at the therapist word that implied movement instead of…catastrophe.
Dusty knelt near the bed, not reaching for Olive but holding her gaze.
“Olive,” he said, “Mommy is in the kitchen. She’s ready to take you home. Tess is going to walk with you.”
Olive’s eyes snapped to his. For a heartbeat, she looked like she might protest. Then her face closed down and she went quiet. The kind of quiet that Olive could hold for…days.
Dusty rose and lifted the Hello Kitty suitcase in one hand and the shopping bag in the other.
Tessa scooped up Olive’s little body and held her close, following Dusty.
Morgan stood near the kitchen table, hands clutching her car keys like she might snap them in half. When she saw Olive, she stepped forward, then stopped again.
Dusty turned and gave a look to Tessa, silently telling her to hand over the child to her mother.
“Olive, your Mommy is going to hold you now,” Tessa told her.
Olive did not move, speak, or stop staring at Tessa, who felt like a traitor. She kissed the sweet cheek and whispered, “It’s okay, Olive Oyl. It’s okay. You’re going to be okay.”
