Baby Doll(13)

“I wanna go home. Daddy Rick’s gonna be mad if we’re not there.”

Lily’s stomach dropped at the mention of his name. She hadn’t considered how she would explain who Rick really was, what he was. Sky loved him as much as she feared him. He was her father, the only other person she’d ever known. Right now though, Lily was too overwhelmed for explanations.

“Don’t worry about Daddy Rick. We need to get clean and warm. Don’t you want to take a bath with Mommy?”

Sky, it seemed, had reached her breaking point. She began to cry, her tiny body racked with sobs. Lily lifted Sky into her arms. Slowly, she lowered them both into the warm, soapy bath, her child wailing.

“The water feels good, doesn’t it? Isn’t it so nice and warm?”

She hummed and rocked Sky back and forth, the warm water and the motion hypnotizing them both. Before long, Sky’s sobs subsided. After a few moments, Sky wiped her eyes, glancing up at Lily with a look of wonder. It was a look Lily hoped to see over and over again.

“Mommy, it’s so warm. I don’t ever want to get out.”

Lily didn’t want to get out either. She leaned back against the porcelain tub.

“Chicken, we can stay as long as you want.” She wasn’t sure how long they stayed in the bath. The water grew cold and Lily refilled the tub again. They tried out the array of shampoos and bath gels that Eve was obviously still obsessed with—Lavender Dream, Lemon-Ginger Zing, and something called Twilight Woods, which smelled of pine trees. They stayed until Sky began to yawn and they both started to prune, and even then, Lily wanted to stay longer. But she knew no amount of soap and water could wash away what they’d endured. The voices were growing louder, and she knew that Abby would be here soon. Lily wanted to be ready when Abby arrived.

She climbed out of the tub and wrapped big, fluffy yellow towels around them both, marveling at how soft and clean they were. She tenderly untangled Sky’s long dark mane of curls, then ran the brush through her own long blond hair and braided it. She ignored the mirror, not wanting to see herself like this, tired, gaunt, and ravaged by her ordeal.

Lily carried Sky back to her old room, the room she’d once shared with Abby. Her mother had laid a pair of blue jeans and a worn gray sweatshirt on the bed. Lily pulled them on, thrilled by how comfortable they were, loving the feel of the soft cotton against her skin. With Rick she was only allowed to wear what he deemed appropriate attire. Frilly, girly summer dresses. Sexy cocktail dresses. Lingerie. He allowed nothing comfortable, no versatile clothing. But these clothes were perfect. Baggy and loose, they covered her figure completely. They made her feel invisible.

Lily dressed Sky in an oversized sweatshirt, and she wrapped a blanket around her. Sky fell asleep almost instantly. Lily cradled her daughter in her arms and headed downstairs. From the landing, she saw police officers milling about. Mom was in the living room, quietly talking with a tall, imposing man wearing a police uniform and a stern expression. Instinctively, Lily knew he was in charge. As if he sensed her presence, he locked eyes with her. His shocked expression mirrored the one Mom had worn when she’d opened the front door earlier, though this man did a better job of recovering. Mom hurried over, ready to make the introductions.

“Lily, this is Sheriff Tommy Rogers. Sheriff, this is my daughter Lily and her daughter Sky.”

“It is very, very good to see you, young lady.” But he kept a polite distance as if he could sense Lily’s mistrust. She couldn’t help herself. She gazed nervously at the other officers in her living room. Their probing eyes seemed to bore into her, their unanswered questions lingering. She fought her rising panic. Sheriff Rogers seemed to know exactly what she was thinking. He snapped his fingers, and like a well-choreographed army, the men stepped outside and closed the door behind them.

There was a moment of silence, her mother and Sheriff Rogers waiting for her to speak. For a brief, insane instant, Lily longed for that damp, cold hole she’d climbed out of. She knew the rules there. She knew what to think, what to expect, how to survive. Here, she knew nothing.

“Where’s Abby?” she asked Mom, trying to keep her voice neutral, trying not to show how afraid she was.

“She’s on her way. She’ll be here any minute,” Sheriff Rogers said. Lily’s arms trembled violently, worn out from carrying Sky for so long.

“Maybe you should sit?” Sheriff Rogers said, clearly worried she might drop Sky. He gestured to the sofa, and Lily moved toward it. She gently set Sky on one of the cushions and then settled down beside her. She leaned back and closed her eyes. Mom and the sheriff moved away, but Lily heard every word.

“She hasn’t told me anything,” Mom said.

“We need to act fast, Eve. It’s important.”

“I don’t want to rush her. Or upset her.”

“I understand, but if there was an abduction…”

“If?”

Eve’s voice rose, and Lily’s eyes snapped open. His question echoed in her brain. Did he doubt her? Could he possibly think that she’d stayed away on purpose? That she’d had a choice in the matter? Maybe he knew Rick. Maybe he was in on it all along.

Lily stared at Sky. The pressure to keep her child safe was all-consuming.

Don’t be weak, she told herself, but an uneasiness she couldn’t shake was working its way through her bones. She was still studying Sky when the front door opened. Lily knew instantly that Abby was here. Lily turned and saw Abby standing in the entryway. The sight of her sister, alive and safe, was almost too much to bear.