Page 23 of Don’t Open Your Eyes

“May I come in?”

I open the door without a word.

“Can we take a seat?”

“My husband was in an accident. Wasn’t he?”

He sighs deeply. “A pickup truck going the wrong way collided head-on with his car at 7:05.”

“And?”

“Your husband and your daughter are dead.”

Annabelle woke up with a cry, her eyes open, her pulse racing. “Thank God it was only a dream.” And then she heard the words and doubled over in terror. A dream or another premonition?

Before

Christmas arrived, and the only thing making it bearable was Randy. Annabelle and her mother had always celebrated the holidays with joy, accumulating traditions over the years. She bought her mother a small tree and had hoped to decorate it with her, but Miriam just stared at it as if she had no idea what it was. Even putting some of their cherished ornaments on it hadn’t jogged her memory.

Today Annabelle would meet Randy’s whole family. They arrived at his parents’ house, and she felt her stomach flutter with nerves.

“I hope they like me,” she said, smoothing down her dress as they got out of the car, holding the gift basket she’d brought for them.

“They’re going to love you. My sisters can’t wait to meet you. If they try to give you the third degree, feel free to ignore them.” He laughed. “They can be a little much sometimes.”

As soon as they walked into the house, everyone descended upon them, shouting their hellos, hugging, and kissing. As an only child, it wasn’t a scene Annabelle was used to, but it made her wish they were her family. How wonderful it must be to have so many people to love.

“Hi, Annabelle,” his mother gushed as she pulled her into a hug. “We’ve been dying to meet you.”

“Thank you for including me in your Christmas,” Annabelle said.

“You’re more than welcome,” Randy’s father boomed, also giving her a warm hug. “Come on in and meet everyone.”

Randy’s three sisters were lovely, not at all the way he made them sound. They whisked Annabelle off and got her some eggnog. The four of them sat together for over an hour, laughing and getting to know one another. By the end of the day, Annabelle was smitten with all of them. As they were driving away after dinner, she turned to Randy.

“I had such a good time. Your family is great.”

He grabbed her hand. “Thank you for coming today. Everyone loved you, like I knew they would.”

“They were wonderful. This isn’t an easy day for me. I’d like to stop and see my mom.”

He looked at his watch. “Didn’t you say nights aren’t the best time for her? Maybe it’s better if you go in the morning.”

She hesitated. He was right about that, but still, she felt guilty letting the day go by without seeing her mother.

“Yeah, but still. You don’t have to come with me. Let’s go to your house, and I’ll get my car.”

“Okay.”

She was disappointed that he didn’t offer to go with her but said nothing. It was hard enough for her, so maybe she was expecting too much from him. But after she’d spent the whole day with his family, it would have been nice if he could spare a little time for hers.

—

Annabelle was now spending half her nights at Randy’s house. James didn’t seem to mind, and the three of them had fallen into a companionable routine on the nights James wasn’t working at the hospital. They’d have dinner together and play a game or two afterward, before she and Randy would retire to his room.

It was her turn to cook tonight. She’d looked up a recipe for lasagna since that was Randy’s favorite dish. She wished she’d realized how complicated it was before undertaking it, but as she watched him take a bite, she was pleased to see him nod approvingly.

“Best I’ve ever tasted,” he said.