Back on Blossom Street (Blossom Street #4)(52)

“Okay.”

I held the phone away from my ear and glanced at Margaret, who’d gone into the office to retrieve her purse.

“I’m going to run over to the French Café for a latte,” my sister told me. “Can I get you anything?”

I shook my head. “Thanks anyway.”

“I shouldn’t be more than ten minutes,” Margaret said on her way out the door, blissfully unaware of what was happening in her own home.

“Okay.”

The bell above the door jingled as she left and Whiskers, my lazy cat, raised his head, then stretched his well-fed body in the warm afternoon sun.

As soon as Margaret was gone, I went back to the conversation. “Okay,” I said to Hailey, “put your sister on the line.”

“Here. Julia, talk to Aunt Lydia,” Hailey said.

“Julia,” I said softly, trying to encourage her. “Sweetie, tell me what’s wrong.”

She hiccuped a couple of sobs. “I…I don’t know. I can’t stop crying.”

“Are you frightened?” I asked, thinking something must have happened to trigger this emotional breakdown.

“Yes…I can’t sleep. I try and try.”

Margaret had told me how poorly Julia had been sleeping after the incident. The carjacking had taken place more than two months ago and I’d thought Julia was doing better. Apparently not.

“Have you talked to anyone?” I asked.

“No.” The word was accompanied by a sob.

“Are you ready to talk?”

“No!” she screamed, anger taking control. “I want to forget. Why did he have to pick me? I hate him…I hate him.” She sobbed again, harder this time, almost wailing. “Why won’t everyone just leave me alone? It’s all anyone wants to talk about. I can’t stand my life…I don’t want to live anymore.”

Now I understood why Hailey was so frightened. “Sweetheart, don’t say that.”

Julia must have tossed the phone away, because I heard a loud clang and soon afterward Hailey was on the line again. “She’s still crying, only now she’s got her face on the floor.”

Julia screamed an obscenity that made me blink a couple of times.

Hailey gasped. “What should I do, Aunt Lydia?”

“I’d better tell your mother about this.”

“Can she come home?”

“Of course.” Julia might not want to see Margaret, but it was evident to me that she needed to talk to someone, perhaps a counselor or her doctor.

A few minutes later, after I’d reassured Hailey as well as I could, Margaret returned. “Alix was working as the barista,” Margaret told me, grinning. It’d been such a long time since I’d seen my sister this carefree that I hated having to tell her about Julia.

“That was Hailey on the phone,” I said.

The animation immediately left her face. “Is everything all right with Julia?”

I shook my head. “I think she’s having some kind of breakdown.”

The color drained out of Margaret’s face. The reprieve was over. She tensed and for a moment seemed rooted to the spot, frozen with indecision about what she should do.

“She needs you,” I told her. “She’s talking nonsense.” I couldn’t tell her Julia was talking about not wanting to live anymore. It terrified me that she’d even suggested…

Margaret stared into the distance.

“Go home and call me once you’re there so I know everything’s okay. Leave now, Margaret.”

My sister nodded.

I went to her then and hugged her. “Everything’s going to be fine,” I assured her and I prayed that was true.

Margaret left. As soon as I saw her drive away, I wished I’d closed the shop and gone with her. I wasn’t sure it was a good idea to let her deal with this by herself.

An eternity passed before the phone rang again. When I picked up, it was Hailey. I didn’t recognize her voice at first because she was crying so hard. “My mom and dad are here,” she sobbed into the phone. “They decided to take Julia to the hospital. Daddy thinks Julia needs professional help.”

A hard lump formed in my throat.

“I’m coming over,” I told Hailey.

“They don’t want me to go with them and I don’t want to be here by myself.”

“I’m on my way.” I’d never just left the shop like this. Even when Margaret and I learned that our mother had been found unconscious at home, Jacqueline had been here to take over.

After reassuring Hailey, I called Brad on his cell and told him what had happened. He confirmed that I should put a note on the door, lock up and leave right away. I promised to phone him as soon as I had any news.

I don’t even remember getting in my car and driving to Matt and Margaret’s house. The minute I pulled up in front and parked, the door banged open and Hailey raced down the steps and hurled herself into my arms, sobbing.

Holding her tightly, I stroked her hair. I noticed two neighbors watching us, and knowing what a private person my sister is, I kissed the top of Hailey’s head and steered her back toward the house.

Once inside, she got herself a tissue and blew her nose loudly.

“Do you know what set Julia off?” I asked, wondering why this had happened now.