Chapter Eight #5
She squeezed my wrist. “Look, I told you all of that not only because it brought me great joy, but because I need you to know that Sue wasn’t the smart one, or the creative one, or the successful one.
The only thing she had on you was being a better liar and bully.
You’re the best twin, Sarah. Doesn’t matter that you had a ten-year delay, you will make all of your dreams come true. ”
My eyes swam. “Now you’re making me cry.”
A knock sounded on the glass, drawing our attention to the figure in the window.
An older woman with thick-framed glasses, wispy red hair, and a worn, threadbare brown coat knocked on the glass again, and then pointed to the stack of papers in her hand.
“One sec.” Courtney went to the door. Flipping the lock, she stuck her head out. “Yes? Can I help you?”
“Hello,” floated to my ear. “You won’t know who I am, but my name is Collette Williams. My daughter, Tracy Williams, has been m-missing for two w-weeks.
” I saw her eyes well through the glass.
“She was last seen leaving her job at the post office on the night of the fourteenth”—Mrs. Williams turned and pointed to the post office right at the end of the street—“and I haven’t heard from her since.
“My daughter wouldn’t leave without telling me. She just wouldn’t.” A shaky hand peeled a piece of paper off her stack. “This is my girl. Have you ever seen her before? Maybe— Maybe she came in one afternoon for a cupcake or...?” She trailed off at Courtney’s headshake.
“I’m so sorry, but no,” my friend said. “She’s not familiar to me, but I spend most of my time in the back. My assistant mans the shop. I’ll ask if she recognizes her,” Courtney offered before she asked, taking the flyer. “And I’ll put this up in the window.”
“Th-thank you,” Mrs. Williams rasped. “Bless you, and thank you.”
“I hope she comes home safe and sound soon.”
Mrs. Williams just nodded, smile wobbling as she turned to go.
Courtney came back in—stricken. “That poor woman. I can’t imagine what she’s going through right now.
One time Mom and I got our wires crossed, and she picked Taylor up from school on the wrong day.
When I got there and they told me Taylor wasn’t there, I had a straight fucking heart attack in the ten seconds it took for Mr. Stevens to finish his sentence and say her grandmother already picked her up.
Worst feeling in the world,” she whispered, gazing at Mrs. Williams who was across the street, speaking to the owner of the dry cleaners. “I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”
She tossed her head. “Okay, now we both need cheering up. Come with me to pick up Taylor. It’s long past time she met her favorite auntie Sarah.”
I was up, out the door, and in the car before the woman got her keys.
THAT NIGHT, I BUSTLED around the kitchen—putting away groceries, tidying up, and prepping dinner while the music blasted from Sue’s laptop.
After a shit-my-pants terrifying morning, I ended up having the best afternoon with Courtney and Taylor.
Together, the three of us went to the park, the farmer’s market, and then the mall because Taylor informed me that I wanted to buy her a present.
So, naturally, I bought her the biggest stuffed bear in the place.
I danced across the hardwood. “Shake that ass, shake that ass, shake—”
“Mommy?”
“Shit! I mean, shoot!” I bleated, spinning around and slamming the laptop closed.
Lily stood in the entrance to the kitchen, smiling innocently at me. “What are you doing?”
“I was... uh... I was just dancing, sweet girl. Dancing and cooking.” I clutched my racing chest. “I didn’t know you were home. Daddy Alex said you were having a hotel sleepover.”
She shrugged. Skipping inside, she hopped on the barstool. “We were, but the bear people called and said they took the bear away. So we came home.”
“Well, that’s lucky. I would’ve missed you if you were away all night.”
Lily giggled behind her hands, her bright eyes dancing.
“Where’s Daddy Alex?” I asked.
“Bathtime.”
“Okay,” I said simply. Thanks to Courtney, I got all the info I couldn’t get directly from the source, because they’d have me committed.
She told me that after selling GloryBoi, the guys stopped working together, and split up and did their own things.
Rhodes started an investment firm-slash-hedge fund.
Micah became a corporate consultant, and Alex was planning to go to med school when Lily arrived.
Instead, he became a stay-at-home dad, and was now beginning to look at schools again since Lily was in school herself.
Courtney got all of that from their socials, proving that people really do put their entire life story online. I tried myself to hit up their pages through Sue’s account, but nothing came up.
Every single one of them blocked her.
“What are you making, Mommy?” Lily asked, snapping me out of it. “Can I have some?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’m making bulgogi. Have you ever had that before?”
She shook her head, making me grit my teeth.
Dammit, Sue. Talk about outsourcing passing down your heritage. What had you been teaching your daughter about her culture for the past six years?
“Well, it’s very yummy. Every time Omma and Appa took us—me,” I quickly corrected, “to Korea, the first thing I’d make them do is take me to the nearest convenience store for a bulgogi roll.”
Nari stared at me like she didn’t understand a single word I just said.
I laughed. “Don’t worry, baby girl. I’m going to teach you everything you need to know before your first trip to the ROK.”
“We’re going on a trip?”
“Yes, we are,” I told her, and who the hell knew why. It was all just tumbling out of my mouth. “We’re going to visit Korea, and you’re going to meet all the family you have there. I’m even going to teach you Korean.”
She nodded, her two pigtails bouncing against her cheeks. “Is it hard to learn?”
“Not if you start when you’re young.”
“Am I young?”
I chuckled. “Yep, afraid so.”
“Did you learn when you were young?”
“I did.” Pulling out the cutting board, I started chopping the onions and green peppers.
“Did your mommy teach you?”
I shook my head. “I had a Korean tutor who taught me.”
“Were they nice?”
Smiling, I flicked her cute little nose. “You know, they were very nice. I think that’s why I liked learning Korean so much. It’s so much more fun when you have a nice teacher.”
“My teacher is nice,” she mused. “He let me have allll the cotton candy I wanted.”
“Mmh, yes, I know. That’s why I got all the cotton candy you wanted all over the backseat.”
That set off another round of giggling.
“So, I was thinking,” I began. My knife blurred across the cutting board. “I can’t deliver on that brother or sister, but what do you think about a cousin?”
She cocked her head. “Cousin?”
“That’s right. What do you think about an adorable little cousin named Taylor? She’s five years old, loves puppies and horses, and she can’t wait to play with you. Interested?”
“Hmm.” Lily scrunched up her face, looking up to the ceiling. “I’m not sure. I’ll think about it.”
I almost choked stifling a laugh. “Yes, ma’am. Take all the time you need.”
Onion fumes stung my eyes. I turned, rubbed away the tears, then turned back. “But what— Ah!” I shrieked, startling Lily, but only raising Alex’s brow.
He appeared out of nowhere, strolling into the kitchen to fall in beside Lily.
The sweet, woodsy scent of his body wash filled the kitchen—tickling my nose.
He was dressed simply in a plain black tee and shorts, and still my heart skipped a beat like the silly mare I was.
Why did this guy have to look good in everything?
Even a sneer.
“Who is Taylor?” he demanded. He put his arm around Lily like I was a threat to her. “She’s not Lily’s cousin, so who the hell is she?”
Lily giggled at the slight swear.
“Why do you want her to meet this kid so badly?”
I met that guy’s eyes and sneered right back. He may be hot, but this was the same jerk who locked me outside with a bear. I wasn’t too fond of him right then either. “Not for whatever nefarious reason you’re inventing in your head.
“Taylor is Courtney’s daughter. My friend from high school,” I admitted. “I met up with them both today, and Courtney mentioned that she’d love for the girls to have a playdate.” I winked at Lily. “Queen Nari is considering it.”
“She doesn’t do the considering, Sue. She’s six,” he said slowly, like he was speaking to an idiot.
“You’re supposed to discuss these things with me before getting Lily’s hopes up.
If you had, I would’ve told you straight out that the answer is no.
We don’t let our daughter have playdates with strangers. ”
“She—!” I amended my tone, not wanting to yell in front of Lily. “She’s not a stranger. I just told you Courtney is my best friend.”
He crooked a brow. “Your best friend who you haven’t mentioned once in ten years? I don’t know what your scam is, but go run it on someone else. You’re obviously trying to get something from whoever this Courtney is—money most likely—so you’re playing doting mom to get close to her.
“It’s not happening.”
I blew a hard breath out of my nostrils, seriously fighting against the no-yelling rule I just enacted.
I knew all of this animosity and suspicion was for Sue—the woman who used someone else’s baby shower as a personal marketing opportunity—but it was seriously annoying being treated like I couldn’t be trusted.
You took over his dead wife’s life, and now you’re making plans for his child, even though you’re a virtual stranger to both of them. Would you trust you?
My anger faded, falling back in the face of plain sense. Alex was a jerk, but I was still in the wrong.
“You’re right,” I said, catching a flicker of surprise on his face. “I should’ve asked you first. More than that, I should’ve introduced you to Courtney and Taylor before I ever thought about a playdate. You have every right to want to know who’s spending time with your daughter.”