An all-capitals text had popped up on my phone.
EMERGENCY, Erica had written.CALL ME!
My heart rate spiked, mind going immediately to my dad. He was flying home today from his three-day stretch.Did something…?
I didn’t let myself finish the thought. “Do you mind if I step out for a moment?” I asked Annie, gesturing out to the hall. “I need to make a quick call…”
Erica answered on the second ring. “You need to pick up Maisie from her Girl Scout meeting and take her to ballet,” she said. “I’m on the way to the hospital with Bryce.”
“What?” I gasped. “What happened?”
“He fell off the jungle gym at recess and decided not to tell anyone about hurting himself.” She groaned. “He was clutching his arm when he got off the bus. I think it’s broken.”
I winced.Yikes.
“Maisie’s ballet bag is in the laundry room,” Erica continued. “Girl Scouts is at Violet P.’s house today.”
“Doesn’t Violet P. dance too?” I asked. “I saw her listed in the winter recital’s program.”
Violet Poindexter,whata name.
“Olivia, where have you been? She switched from ballet to tap this spring!”
“I’m sorry,” I said as I heard Bryce moan in the background. Poor guy. “I’ll get Maisie, don’t worry.”
“Great,” Erica said, then promptly hung up.
I sighed. The one good thing about Annie thinking I was some random person was that she wasn’t as disappointed when I left.It was lovely talking to you, Annette, I rehearsed in my head.But I promised I would pick up my sister from—
“Olivia, darling!” Annie exclaimed, a sparkling smile spreading across her face when I returned to her room. “Was that your father on the phone? Did he find my luggage?”
I couldn’t speak. There was no air in my lungs. Not only did Annie suddenly remember who I was, but she was moving around her room…tossing clothes on her bed.
Tears pooled at the corners of my eyes. “No, it was Erica,” I said softly, scared of what was coming. “Annie, what are you doing?”
“Packing to go home,” she replied. “I don’t know why I ever left.”
I bit the inside of my cheek; this scene had played out before, but it’d been my dad who handled it, not me.Take Maisie and Bryce to the car, Liv, he’d whispered to me as Annie furiously folded sweaters.I’ll be there soon.
“Let me go talk to Tara,” I said. “She’ll know where your suitcases are.”
“No!” Annie’s paranoia kicked in. “They’ve trapped me here; we have to sneak out.”
“Right.” My stomach swirled. “ThenIwill go find your suitcases.”
“Hurry, dearest,” my grandmother said. “We don’t have much time…”
“I know,” I whispered, and wiped away an escaped tear before speed-walking out of her room.
But instead of taking the elevator down to Finlay House’s basement, where each resident had a storage cage, where Iknewmy dad had put a few of Annie’s suitcases, I found the nearest aide. White noise filled my ears as I explained the situation—another sundown. Kai nodded, put a gentle hand on my arm, and his eye contact told me he’d take care of Annie. I just barely heard him say I could go, that everything would be okay.
And with that, I took off up the hallway, racing for the locked double doors.Let me out, I thought, quickly pressing the button.Let me out, let me out…
I felt like the world’s worst granddaughter until I picked Maisie up at Violet P.’s house, where I felt like the world’s worstsister. “IknewBryce broke his arm!” she said, climbing into the Jeep in her patch-covered blue Girl Scout vest. “It was such a bad fall, Olivia.” She buckled herself in and glanced around the car. “Where’s my ballet stuff?”
Fuck, I grimaced. I’d forgotten to stop at home to grab it.
“That’s okay,” Maisie said a beat later. “No offense, but it looks like you’ve had a bad day.” She smiled. “How about we go get ice cream?”
