Page 91 of Close Your Eyes and Count to 10

Adele made her voice stern, like she was talking to one of her children. “Malinka, listen to me. Youhave toreach for it.”

Adele edged closer, feeling Cody’s strong grip on the rope. The porch creaked, the gap between it and the casita yawning wider, the structure groaning, water rushing.

“Just one hand,” she yelled again. “Malinka, please! The porch is falling.”

Malinka let go of a scream, and Adele saw one hand disappear, then she felt a hard tug on the rope around her waist. She grabbed onto it, felt Cody pulling her back.

“I got it,” Malinka called, her other hand still grabbing the metal railing.

“Okay,” Adele yelled. “Now the other hand. And I’ll start crawling back.”

She prayed that the knot Cody tied would hold. That she was strong enough to pull Malinka’s dangling weight back from the precipice.That Cody was strong enough for both of them.

What were the chances the girl could hold on to the rope? In the rain?

Maybe. Maybe she could do it if she was really a climber. Adele’s father had always said that extreme survival often came down to being able to dangle by your fingertips. The full-body strength that was required to do that was very rare. It wasn’t just about hand strength. It was upper body. It was core.

Malinka’s other hand disappeared.

She imagined the girl falling, listening to her anguished scream as she plummeted to her death. Instead, the rope jerked hard. Adele felt it dig into her waist and back, pulling tight, burning her skin with friction. She reached forward to grab the rope with both hands, bringing her hips back to stabilize herself.

“I got it!” Malinka called over the edge, voice high with strain.

“I’m pulling.”

Adele used all her strength, feeling the rope jerking as the girl tried to climb. The porch whined, wanting to fall. If it did, they were both going over. This was it. She saved Malinka, or they both died. Right here in this place, right now.

She thought of Violet and Blake, everything that had been taken from them. Her heart nearly burst with grief, anguish. Her kids. Her babies. How was she getting back to them from where she was right now?

Fight. Win.

Another surge of adrenaline; she pulled harder.

Then Malinka let out a scream of effort, and Adele saw the top of her head again. She was doing it. Then she was slipping, her weight pulling Adele with her.

“I can’t!” she wailed.

“Malinka! Yes. You. Can.”

The voice boomed in the night.

It wasn’t Adele. It was Cody. She almost sobbed with relief as he sat on top of her pinning her beneath his weight,stabilizing her. Then he reached over her head and grabbed for the rope. They both pulled together with all their strength.

The top of Malinka’s head. Then her shoulders. Them pulling, Malinka climbing, wailing with effort.

Then had her.

Theyalmosthad her.

When the porch finally gave way, it fell with a final groan, the cracking of wood and plaster, then crashing over the cliff edge.

Adele closed her eyes, screamed with despair.

Cody yelled something, but she couldn’t hear him. She was sobbing, thinking of the girl, her mother whoever she was. The incalculable loss of a vibrant, young life.

“Adele,” Cody yelled louder. “Help me. We got her.”

The porch was gone, but Malinka still clung onto the rope. With a final heave, the girl was inside the casita. She climbed into Adele’s arms, where they clung to each other for a moment, weeping. Adele felt like she was holding Violet, keeping her close. “You’re okay, kiddo. You’re okay.”