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The nodding of her head moved her hair from her face enough for me to catch a glimpse of the scars down the left side. She swallowed a painful lump. “Lots of people. Girls like us, boys, too. But our baby, she has the big white cross in the middle. At first, it was only her, but Woodrow thought it might be nice for her to have company when this place got built.” A tear rolled from Jolie’s eye.
“Do you want to go see her?”
Her head bobbed again, and then her feet started moving. I followed her across the bridge and to the monument that read the name of her child, probably given by Woody, judging by the spelling.
She planted herself down, becoming one with the daisies covering the area, and I followed her, my knees crushing a few of them.
“It’s weird that I come here because I never speak to her. I just sit, and Woodrow just sits here, and we kinda just float in silence for a little while.”
My fingers feathered the cross, polished to perfection.
“Woodrow made it.” She smiled, full of sorrow and pride in equal amounts.
“It’s beautiful.”
“She was born sleeping, and she didn’t have much back then. He buried her in a shoe box in a grave he had to dig with his bare hands.”
“That must have been so awful.” I wrapped my fingers around Jolie’s as they rested on her knee. Woodrow’s strength passed on to me, and I found myself able to tell her a secret. “I don’t know what happened to mine.”
Her face moved to me with a sympathetic stare. “I’m so sorry, Cat. I didn’t think how you’d feel when you followed me over here.”
“Did you know? How?”
“Remi.”
“He told you?”
“Woodrow overheard him and the boys having a discussion outside the house when he first went to try and find your baby.”
“He did that?” My racing heart was about to burst. “He didn’t tell me.”
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” She twisted to me, her knee bumping one of the baby toys and knocking it over, and even that pulled a tear from her eye as she lifted the pink rocking horse and put it back in its place.
“Don’t be.” My hand squeezed hers, feeling her shake.
“I guess he just didn’t want to get your hopes up. Woodrow asked him about it a few days later, around the time of his test results, and he said…well, he couldn’t find the baby.”
“Is that all he said?” That was a piece of my broken past that couldn’t stay there.
“He just said that something really awful happened. He didn’t give details.”
A single tear rolled down my cheek. I didn’t brush it away. Jolie wouldn’t let go of my hand, and the other one was still trying to keep the hair out of my face. She leaned her head against mine, gifting me a little comfort. I leaned back, sharing it with her.
“I don’t remember it happening. I just see the scar, and it’s another thing I hate. I can’t believe Remi went looking.”
“He tried really hard. He did.”
“He’s special, isn’t he.”
“I do love Remi.” Jolie backed away from me, her head dipping as she said, “I’m just not sure Remi loves Remi.”
She pushed herself to her feet and granted a sad smile towards the resting ground. Her hand pulled me up as she stepped around me, bringing my eyes in line with the plaques of the girls I shared memories with.
“Have you ever killed someone?”
“No.” She stilled. “But I’ve wanted to. However, what happened to you was different. From another survivor, trust me when I say those girls knew you just wanted to survive. They are not hurting anymore. They are at peace. Free from the awful circumstances you were all in.”
I nodded, glued to the spot, as I stared at their names once more.
