The Light Through the Leaves(129)

Dear Mother Tree, make me hollow like you are. Take the baby away. Take Mama out of me. Make the place where she was into a pretty little room like you have. I want to live there forever.

Hands lifted her. Strong arms. Ellis was pulling her out of the hollow, and Raven didn’t stop her.

Ellis pressed Raven against her body. Raven thought she must remember the sweet smell and feel of her mother from when she was a baby. Because Ellis was exactly what she wanted. Better even than the tree.

Raven had never cried so hard.

“You’ll be okay,” Ellis said. “Go ahead and cry. You need to. It’s good to let it out. I love you so much. I love you. My sweet baby. Everything will be all right.”

A quieter cycle of the hurricane hushed the woods. The gusts calmed, and rain pattered gently.

Raven wiped her hands over her face. It felt swollen.

Ellis placed her hands on Raven’s cheeks. “Sweetheart . . . are you sure? Are you certain you felt a baby? Could it be—”

“It’s a baby. Maxine knew. She saw me throwing up one day. I thought I was sick from missing Washington.”

She had vomited the day Sondra came to her house with her sister’s letter. That had made Raven think it was normal to be sick with unhappiness.

“You haven’t had your period?”

“I got a few spots once. I thought my body had changed from everything that happened. Especially after the car accident.”

“Do you mind if I look?”

Raven pushed back against the tree and lifted her shirt.

Ellis caressed the bulge. She was trying not to cry. “I thought you were finally gaining weight. But this definitely looks like a baby. If you felt the baby move for the first time, you must be about six months along.”

“It happened at the end of March.”

Spring break from school. She and Jackie had made love many times that week. What would he say if he found out? She’d told him she couldn’t get pregnant.

She was crying again.

“It’s okay. It’s okay. We’ll figure this out. Who is the father?”

“Jackie. Jack Danner.”

“Is he a boyfriend . . . a friend . . . ?”

“He’s my boyfriend. But maybe he gave up on me by now. And he’ll think I tricked him like Mama did. I told him I couldn’t have babies.”

“He’ll understand, won’t he? How long had you been together?”

“I’ve known him since I was seven. I love him more than anyone in the world.”

Ellis looked astonished. “Why didn’t you tell me this? Have you had any contact with him?”

Raven shook her head.

“You poor girl! You should have asked to use my phone. Or we could have bought you your own.”

“I’ve never been allowed to use phones. Mama always said they were bad. And River is addicted to his.”

Ellis unzipped her raincoat pocket and took out her phone. “As you know, I’m not keen on phones either. But this . . . this is definitely a situation where a phone is very good. You’re going to call him right now.”

“Here?”

“We only get good phone reception outside because of the metal roof on the house and barn. And the rain has let up. You’d better hurry before more rain blows through.” She held the phone out to her. “I’ll leave to give you privacy.”

“I don’t know his number.”

“What are his parents’ names? I’ll call information.”

“His mother is Rose Danner. His father died.”

“Does his mother work on Saturdays?”

“No, she’s a teacher.”

“Shoot, I just realized something.” She slid the phone back into her pocket. “I need to tell you something before you call. I want you to hear it from me, not from Jack or his mother.”

“What?”

“There’s been a lot going on out there. I haven’t told you because I didn’t want to upset you. But you’ve been told enough lies.”

“They found her body?”

“Yes. They had to do an autopsy to make sure there wasn’t foul play.”

Raven imagined doctors cutting up Mama’s body. It made her sick. She squeezed her eyes closed and put her hands over them to stop seeing it.

“They had to know what killed her,” Ellis said. “They were worried Sondra or someone else might have been involved in her death.”

Raven opened her eyes. “Aunt Sondra?”

“There’s been an investigation to make sure she didn’t aid her sister’s crime.”

“Did they find out what killed Audrey?”

“She had heart disease—similar to what killed her mother. But she probably died of hypothermia. She removed her clothing, lay down in a hollow she’d excavated, and pulled dead leaves over her body to hide it.”

Raven easily saw her doing that. Vividly. More tears mixed with the rain on her face.

“I’m sorry,” Ellis said. “I’m sorry I had to tell you that. But we’ve seen what hiding the truth has done to our family.”

“Where is Audrey now?” Raven asked.

“I don’t know.”

Raven was surprised she wasn’t more upset that she didn’t know where the body was. She didn’t know what she felt about Audrey Lind. What River had told her at lunch on Wednesday haunted her. To think that poor little boy blamed himself all those years for the abduction. For what Audrey Lind had done. It tore at Raven’s heart.