I could barely breathe, I was so enthralled in the story.
“I went out into the courtyard screaming and holding my belly, pretending to be injured.” My mother’s face took on a haunted look as if she didn’t want to relive that night but would for Liv’s sake. “The guards rushed to me, and that’s when your mom slipped out and made her run for it.”
She was quiet for a full minute and I wasn’t sure she was going to finish. It was too painful. I could see that now.
“You don’t have to—” Liv started, but my mom waved her off.
“The Munai caught her at the gate, and your mom’s scream ripped through the entire encampment. I could just see from my place on the ground, the moonlight showing me what transpired.” My mom nodded to herself. “Normally, if we try to run, they take a toe or cut out our tongue, but your mother killed a Munai. She went insane. I’ve never seen a woman so strong, with so much anger and determination. It was the most beautiful rebellion I’d ever witnessed.”
I lost sight of the room then, because tears filled my eyes so strongly that everything blurred.
“The guards left me, and took you before killing your mother right then and there.”
I blinked rapidly to clear the tears, and Liv nodded, reaching out to clasp my mom’s hands. “Thank you for that,” Liv whimpered. “It meant everything for me to hear her story.”
My mom bobbed her head. “They let us name our kids. It’s the one thing they give us. She named you after Oliva Newton John. She was a huge fan of some movie calledGrease, I guess?”
Liv and I both burst into crying laughter then, and my mom’s face brightened.
“You know the movie?” my mom asked.
Liv nodded. “I mean it’s older, but I’ve seen it. Wow. That’s funny and cool. Thank you again.”
She reached out and hugged my mom for the umpteenth time. When my mom pulled back, she brushed her hands over Liv’s curly hair. “Aspen tells me you’re like sisters, so as far as I’m concerned, that makes you mine … if you want.”
Holy moly, the tears were just coming left and right. I’d only known this woman a few days and already I was gobsmacked at the amount of compassion and strength she possessed. Liv just nodded, unable to speak, and my mom grinned ear to ear.
“Lucky me,” my mom said, but I was pretty sure it was lucky us.
We finished our dinner and then went into the living room with Maple and decided to watchGrease. We smiled and laughed and it brought such a lightness to the house. It felt like Liv’s mom was right here with us, looking down with joy.
“I’m totally calling you Olivia now,” I teased as the credits to the movie rolled. I stood up and stretched. It was late and I was exhausted.
“Don’t you dare. No disrespect to my mom, but I’m Liv,” she pressed.
We all laughed and my mom had to drag my sleepy sis away from the TV she was obsessed with, and pull her down the hall to bed.
“Night!” I told everyone as they wished me a goodnight as well. Luka had come by this morning for a feeding so I wasn’t going to see him until tomorrow. I hated this time apart. He’d been married to Cassara about a week now, a week too long in my opinion. But as he asked, I’d chosen to trust him.
I brushed my teeth and then slipped into my room. As I was just tucking under the covers, my burner phone rang.
My eyes snapped open and I scrambled upright, launching across the room to the dresser where I kept it plugged in. I’d carried this thing around with me everywhere for days and it had finally rung!
I pulled it open and pressed it to my ear. “Hello?”
Ruby’s voice came across the line: “Do you want answers?”
Yes, I wanted answers, but I didn’t know who to trust.
“How did you get this number?” I asked her.
“Sterling,” she responded, and my whole body froze. He’d contacted Ruby before he died? Why?
“Tell me about Ma—” I started, but she cut me off.
“If you want answers, meet me at the place you and Sterling first kissed. He told me where it was and that it would be a sign to trust me. Be there at eight a.m., otherwise I’m writing you off as an ally.”
The line went dead.
