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Cedar Creek, Nevada

July 4, 1995 The Day Of . . .

ASENSE OF URGENCY FLOODED HER SYSTEM AFTER ELLIS LEFT. ANNABELLE ran into the foyer, grabbed one of the suitcases, and hauled it to the car. She ran back to the house, grabbed two more pieces of luggage, and wheeled them out. One of them caught on the cobblestone walkway and tumbled over. She left it where it lay and continued, throwing the lone suitcase into the back of the BMW. One more trip and the foyer was empty but for a single duffle bag and her purse. As Annabelle was heading back inside, she heard a car pull into the driveway. When she turned, she saw Tilly’s white Cadillac.

Annabelle slumped her chin to her chest. She and Preston should have skipped town the day before. Now, their exit would be messy and filled with drama. She didn’t bother to wait for Tilly, or close the front door. Instead, Annabelle walked into the kitchen and started to clean one of Charlotte’s bottles. Charlotte was starting to fuss and needed to eat.

“What’s going on outside?” Tilly asked as she walked into the kitchen. “Preston’s car is packed full like you’re leaving forever.”

“Tilly, I’m right in the middle of something with Charlotte. Can you come back tomorrow?”

Annabelle continued to scrub the bottle as the kitchen sink ran.

“Where’s Preston?”

“He’s on his way home from the gala.”

“I’ll help you with the baby while we wait for him.”

Annabelle closed her eyes. She just wanted to climb into the car with Preston and Charlotte and get as far away from Cedar Creek as possible. Running on very little sleep, she had no energy to deal with her mother-in-law.

Tilly came over to the sink and reached for the bottle Annabelle was cleaning. Annabelle pulled it away.

“Tilly, I can’t do this right now. I was up all night with Charlotte and just don’t have the energy to fight with you.”

“Who’s fighting?”

Annabelle finished rinsing the bottle and then went to the cupboard and removed Charlotte’s formula.

“Where are you going, Annabelle? With all your bags packed and so late in the afternoon?”

The condescension sent Annabelle over the edge. She turned around to face her mother-in-law as they stood in front of the sink.

“We’re leaving, Tilly.”

Tilly let out a patronizing laugh. “Who’s leaving?”

“Preston and me. We’re leaving this house and this town and all the crap that’s attached to it.”

“Oh, that’s silly. If you’d like to leave, that’s fine. It’s welcomed, actually. But my son? You think you’re going to take my son away? Who do you think you are?”

“His wife! I’m his wife, Tilly. Do you even hear yourself? You talk about your thirty-year-old son the same way I talk about my infant daughter. Preston is a grown man, and grown men make their own decisions. They don’t do what mommy tells them to do.”

“And you think Preston wants to leave Cedar Creek?”

Now it was Annabelle’s turn to laugh. “You think you control everything that goes on, but you know so little. And when you find out, your perfect little world with all your money, and the cookie-cutter houses you make your kids live in, and your country-club lifestyle, it’s all going to crumble. And the sad thing is, you don’t even know it’s about to happen.”

Charlotte began to fuss. The rising tone of Annabelle and Tilly’s exchange caused her to cry and squirm in her bassinet.