Page 60

CHAPTER 60

SEVENTEEN YEARS AGO

T he next week, Olive and her mom had gone to the local farmer’s market to go shopping. Her sisters had stayed home with Dad.

Olive was excited to spend some alone time with her mom, and she was so glad it wasn’t with her dad instead.

She never wanted a replay of last week. She was still thinking about it and felt embarrassed with every memory.

“Why don’t you go pick out some tomatoes for me while I grab some cucumbers?” her mom said.

Olive nodded. She loved it when her mom trusted her enough to let her pick out vegetables at the market. She’d taught Olive what to look for and what to avoid.

She held her basket in the crook of her arm and started browsing the tomatoes, humming to herself as she did.

“Excuse me?” a voice said beside her.

Olive looked up. The blood drained from her face when she saw the woman from the pharmacy standing beside her—the clerk who’d given her money.

“Yes?” Olive’s voice trembled.

“You came into the store last week asking for money,” the woman said. “How are you doing?”

Her throat burned. “I’m . . . I’m fine.”

“You look a lot better. I’m glad to see that. Are you here alone?”

She was pretty sure she wasn’t allowed to tell other people when she was alone.

She opened her mouth, unsure how to answer.

Just then, her mom came up and put her arm around Olive. “Hi, there. Is everything okay?”

The clerk cracked a smile. “It’s fine. I was just telling your daughter—I’m assuming she’s your daughter—that I’m so glad she’s looking better.”

“Looking better?”

Olive’s cheeks heated.

“Since . . . you know . . . since she’s sick.”

Mom stared at the woman. “She has been under the weather.”

“Well, she’s such a precious girl. I’ve been praying for her. I just wanted to let you know.” Then the woman walked away, leaving Olive and her mom standing there.

Her mom looked down at her. “What was that about?”

Olive licked her lips. What did she say? Did she tell Mom what Dad had made her do?

He’d made Olive promise she wouldn’t. But . . .

“Dad and I saw her last week when we were out,” Olive finally said.

“Oh? How did she know you were sick? And you weren’t sick when you went out with Dad, were you?”

“I was sniffly,” Olive said.

Her mom squinted as if confused by the whole situation.

Then she snapped out of it and shook her head. “Okay then. How about those tomatoes?”

But something about her mom’s response made Olive wonder if she knew what had happened.

What if she was okay with what Dad had done?

Olive hated the idea that could be true.