“Of course.” I nod, careful to keep my expression neutral. “I’m here for the full experience anyway.” I better not make her suspicious.
“I’m so pleased to hear that.” Her smile widens to reveal perfect teeth and a dimple on her right cheek.
“Everything you need is provided,” she continues, pointing to a small panel by the headboard of the bed. “That connects directly to me, your personal counselor. Whatever you need, you ask for me only.”
She backs toward the doorway. “Lunch begins in thirty minutes in the central hall. I’ll leave you to settle in.”
Elena lingers at the threshold, her gaze locking with mine one final time. Then she lifts her hand in a delicate wave and gives me a bright smile, before disappearing down the hall.
I close the door behind her and stand very still before going to check out the bathroom, which doesn’t disappoint. A deepstone tub stands proudly next to a rain shower. Plush white towels wait in perfect stacks on a wooden bench.
All this must have cost a fortune, funded by the wealthy, powerful donors. The large donations I made to this camp when we were here on honeymoon and shortly before we sent Sadie here must have helped as well.
Having been handed flyers about the camp, I’d known about their work with underprivileged children, the ones no one else seemed to want to deal with. It had felt like the right thing to support.
I unpack quickly, then I pull my phone from my bag to send a single message to Gabriel.
I’m inside.
That’s all he needs to know for now.
The screen goes dark as I power the phone off and tuck it away in a hidden pocket.
Sadie’s face flashes in my mind, reminding me why I’m here.
After doing some quick stretches to ease the tension in my back, I dress in black, loose linen pants and a white blouse, then follow the path to the dining hall.
Long wooden tables stretch across the sunlit space. Teens sit in small groups with their counselors, who are college-aged, wearing polo shirts with the camp insignia stitched over the heart. The adults occupy a smaller cluster of tables near the back.
The kids look happy and healthy. A few laugh, and one male counselor leans down to listen to a boy speaking animatedly with his hands.
I scan each table methodically, searching for Sadie’s dark hair, the particular way she tilts her head when concentrating,her habit of rearranging food before taking a bite. She’s nowhere.
My stomach tightens as disappointment settles heavy in my chest. I tell myself not to panic. She could be late, or maybe she already ate and left. Or maybe she’s not hungry.
Still, her absence makes my heart ache.
I retreat before my staring draws attention and make my way toward the buffet lining the far wall of our segregated space.
The meals are very healthy. There are roasted vegetables arranged by color, grain salads with seeds and fresh herbs, and steamed greens with just a little oil.
The fruit display is spectacular: pineapple spiraled into coils, mango sliced into flawless fans, bowls of a great assortment of berries so luxurious they seem to glow in the light. So many more fruits, some of which I don’t even recognize. And everything smells fresh.
As I reach for an apple, a woman slips into a seat at a nearby table.
“Hi, I’m Quinn.”
She’s in her mid-thirties, dressed in a green and white striped shirt dress. Her dark eyes are bright and intense, and her hair is tied back in a shiny braided knot at the base of her neck.
“I’m Judy.” I offer her a smile.
“First time here?” she asks. “Alone or as an accompanying adult?”
“Yes, and alone. I’m part of the pilot adult group, and you?”
She nods. “There are three of us lucky ones apparently.” She points to a bald man at another table talking to a twentysomething male waiter with a mop of curly dark-brown hair. “My son has come here three summers in a row. When I heard they were expanding into adult retreats, I wanted to experience what he has told me about. He never stops talkingabout all the fun he has when coming here. It has cost us a pretty penny over the years, but it’s worth it seeing him so content.”
“He loves it here that much?” Is that how Sadie felt, that she fell in love with this place so much she decided to stay for good?
