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"Yes," I said, my voice so small. I thought it came from someone else, a girl half my age.

"You'll be fine." Daddy insisted, more to convince himself than me. "And I'm not finished with any of this yet. That's a promise," he pledged.

None of us spoke.

A deep silence fell over us and settled in our van with only the whir of the tires on the highway providing any sound at all.

That, and the quiet beating of my frightened heart.

7

Secrets in the Night

.

It was as if someone had died. Sorrow, anger,

indignation and disgust knit themselves into a heavy blanket and draped themselves over us and everything in the house. Mrs. Geary was at the front door as soon as we pulled up to the ramp. Her face looked like the image in a stained glass window, an ancient moment of great sadness captured on the tip of an artist's brush and embedded forever and ever in the glass. She came out, clutching her hands against her breasts, waiting to set eyes on me to see how bruised I was emotionally and psychologically.

Daddy helped Mommy out of the van, and Mrs. Geary approached us.

"I've got some of my homemade tomato rice soup hot on the stove." she said looking toward me. She knew it was one of my favorites, especially the way she made it.

"We're all so tired. I don't think any of us has much of an appetite," Mommy muttered as Daddy began to push her up the ramp.

"Something hot in your stomach's important at times like this," Mrs. Geary advised.

"She's right," Daddy said. "We'll get settled in and then have some late lunch."

Mrs. Geary put her arm around my shoulders. Never one to show her affection openly, she surprised me.

"Damn the devil." she said.

We all entered the house and then. after Mommy was set. Daddy returned to the van to get my things.

"Go rest for a while until Mrs. Geary gets some food together." Mommy advised me.

I nodded and went up to my room. For a moment I just stood there in the doorway looking around. Being brought back like this seemed like such a defeat. I felt so foolish. I should be at my piano lesson right now. What were my teachers told? Doctor Greenleaf surely made up some grand lie to keep it all secret.

I sprawled on my bed and stared up at the ceiling. thinking about it all.

Daddy interrupted my sad musings when he came by with my things.

"No rush in putting it all away." he said when he saw me lying so dejectedly on my bed.

"If only I hadn't gone out the window to be with him. Daddy."

"If only are two words I hate." he said. "What happens is you dwell on your own innocent actions and he gets a pass on his criminal actions. Stop doing that," he insisted,

My chin quivered. The sight of my sorrow and pain made him insisted. His face hardened, his eyes radiating fury.

"I'm going to call Grandpa Grant," he decided. "He'll know what to do next."

Before I could say another syllable, he shot out of my room and pounded his way down the stairs to his office. My stepgrandfather was a very important and influential attorney now. He had been a U.S. attorney, worked for the Justice Department and knew presidents personally. Still. I couldn't help but feel more embarrassed about another person knowing, even family.

Mrs. Geary didn't wait for me to go down to lunch. She brought a tray up with a bowl of hot soup and crackers.

"Get some of this in you," she said.