Chapter 7: My Sister's Voice
"Rebecca, where are you?""
My sister didn't answer.
All I could hear was her breathing through the phone.
Fast.
Uneven.
Terrified.
"Rebecca.""
"I'm safe right now.""
"Where?""
"Daniel, listen to me. Don't tell Dad I called.""
I looked across the room.
Robert was standing ten feet away.
He had already heard her name.
His face had gone completely white.
"Why not?""
"Because I don't know what he knows.""
Robert shook his head.
"No.""
His voice cracked.
"Tell her I didn't know.""
Rebecca heard him.
The line went silent.
Then she whispered, "He's there?""
"Yes.""
"Daniel, leave.""
"Rebecca—"
"Leave that house.""
Something in her voice made me move.
I grabbed the box of letters.
Robert stepped forward.
"Let me talk to her.""
"No.""
"She's my daughter.""
"And she's afraid of you.""
That stopped him.
I walked toward the door.
Robert followed.
"Daniel, please.""
I turned.
For once, my father didn't look angry.
He looked destroyed.
"If she calls again," he whispered, "tell her I'm sorry.""
I left.
The moment I reached my car, Rebecca spoke again.
"Are you alone?""
"Yes.""
"Drive somewhere public.""
"Why?""
"Just do it.""
I drove to a coffee shop several blocks away and parked near the entrance.
"Okay.""
Rebecca exhaled.
"I haven't spoken your name out loud in years.""
My throat tightened.
"I didn't even know yours.""
"I know.""
"I'm sorry.""
"Don't apologize. You were a child.""
I closed my eyes.
"What happened to you?""
For several seconds, she said nothing.
Then she began.
Rebecca had tried to tell a teacher about Margaret.
Not everything.
Just enough.
She told the teacher she didn't want to go home.
The school called Margaret.
"She was waiting when I got there," Rebecca said.
I gripped the steering wheel.
"What did she do?""
"She told me I'd destroyed the family.""
My stomach turned.
Rebecca continued.
"She said Dad would lose his job. She said you'd be taken away. She told me it would all be my fault.""
"None of that was true.""
"I was twelve, Danny.""
The childhood nickname broke something inside me.
"What happened next?""
"Aunt Helen came.""
"Why?""
"Because I'd called her before I told the teacher.""
So Helen knew.
At least part of it.
"She confronted Mom. They screamed at each other for an hour.""
"And Dad?""
"Working.""
Of course.
Always working.
Always absent when Margaret needed privacy.
"Helen told Mom she was taking me.""
"And Mom allowed it?""
Rebecca gave a humorless laugh.
"No. Helen threatened to call the police.""
I swallowed.
"Then why didn't she?""
"Because Mom made a deal.""
"What deal?""
Rebecca hesitated.
"She let me go if Helen agreed not to pursue anything, as long as you were safe.""
My hand tightened around the phone.
"But I wasn't safe.""
"No.""
Her voice broke.
"I know.""
"Why didn't you come back?""
"I tried.""
Everything inside me stopped.
"What?""
"I wrote Dad.""
I looked at the box beside me.
"Those letters...""
"Not those.""
Rebecca's voice hardened.
"I wrote real ones.""
"How many?""
"Dozens.""
I stared through the windshield.
"Did you ever get replies?""
"Yes.""
A chill moved through me.
"From Dad?""
"I thought they were.""
"What did they say?""
"That you were doing well. That you didn't remember me. That contacting you would confuse you.""
I felt sick.
Rebecca continued.
"The last one said you were afraid of me.""
"No.""
"I know that now.""
"No, Rebecca. I never—"
"I know.""
Her voice softened.
"But at thirteen, I believed it.""
I covered my eyes.
Margaret hadn't simply separated us.
She had built two separate lies.
One for Rebecca.
One for Robert.
And she had kept them alive for decades.
"Why is she coming for you now?""
Rebecca went quiet.
"Three months ago, she called me.""
"The call Sarah mentioned?""
"Probably.""
"What did Mom want?""
"She asked if I had children.""
I stopped breathing.
"Do you?""
Rebecca hesitated.
"One daughter.""
My chest tightened.
"How old?""
"Twenty-six.""
I had a niece.
A grown niece.
Another person Margaret had erased from my life.
"Her name is Claire.""
"Does Claire know about us?""
"Some of it.""
"Why would Mom care?""
"Because I told her I wasn't hiding anymore.""
I stared at the coffee shop entrance.
"What does that mean?""
"I found something when Helen died.""
"What?""
"Records.""
"Of what?""
Rebecca's voice dropped.
"Everything Helen kept.""
School correspondence.
Old photographs.
Letters Rebecca had written.
Notes documenting injuries and punishments.
Statements Helen had prepared in case Margaret ever tried to take Rebecca back.
And one document Rebecca refused to describe over the phone.
"Why?""
"Because I don't know who I can trust.""
"You can trust me.""
"I want to.""
The words hurt.
Not because I blamed her.
Because she had every reason to be careful.
"Tell me what you need.""
"Protect Lily.""
I sat straighter.
"How do you know what happened to Lily?""
"Mom told me.""
"What?""
"She called last night.""
My blood went cold.
"After we threw her out?""
"Yes.""
"What did she say?""
Rebecca paused.
"She said history was repeating itself.""
My heart pounded.
"What does that mean?""
"Daniel, she wasn't ashamed.""
I couldn't speak.
"She sounded angry that Emily interfered.""
I thought of Lily at that table.
Food in her hair.
Fear in her eyes.
"Rebecca, where are you?""
"I'm not telling you yet.""
"Please.""
"I need to know you aren't still the little boy who believes whatever Mom tells him.""
I looked down at the fake letters.
"I'm not.""
"Then prove it.""
"How?""
"Go home. Ask Lily about the yellow room.""
I froze.
"What yellow room?""
Rebecca whispered, "If Margaret has done what I think she's done, Lily will know.""
The call ended.
I drove home so fast my hands shook the entire way.
Emily met me at the door.
"What happened?""
"Where's Lily?""
"Upstairs.""
I told Emily about Rebecca.
Then the yellow room.
Emily's face changed.
"We don't pressure her.""
"I know.""
We found Lily sitting on her bedroom rug with her stuffed rabbit.
I sat beside her.
"Princess?""
"Hi, Daddy.""
"Can I ask you something?""
She nodded.
"Do you know a yellow room?""
The rabbit slipped from her hands.
Emily inhaled sharply.
Lily's face changed instantly.
"Daddy...""
I moved closer.
"It's okay.""
Her lower lip trembled.
"Grandma said not to talk about that place.""
My heart stopped.
"What place?""
Lily pointed toward the window.
"Grandpa's other house.""
Emily and I stared at each other.
My parents only had one house.
At least, that was what I had always believed.
May you like
Then Lily whispered:
"The one where Grandma keeps the other little girl's things.""
