AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I frowned. That name seemed familiar. D. J. was someone important in town. That meant the police might come quicker if I could reach them.
A shiver of fear ran through me. If Cletus or Ma caught me, they’d hurt me worse than before. Sandie didn’t have the strength they did, but she was slowly getting there.
I had to be brave, like those superheroes I’d read about. Today, I was the superhero. Only I could make it happen. Thinking of Captain America, I straightened my shoulders and took a deep breath. I imagined I wore his uniform, and then I sank beneath the water. There was a man who needed my help to rescue him.
Chapter One.
Grace
February 2020
I stared at the leg of lamb sitting on the freezer shelf. The damn thing was still frozen. Disbelievingly, I reached out with a finger and poked it to make sure. Yup, frozen to the bone.
Shit. There wasn’t enough time to run to the shop to buy a fresh one. Plus, he’d know I’d messed up—again. My illness had crept up on me, and by the time I’d realised how bad it had got, I was completely reliant on him.
‘Him’ was my husband Garry, a good man, usually, but my sickness had brought out another side of him that wasn’t so nice.
It began with small things, like forgetting to post a letter or reply to an email, then progressed to not locking the front door or attending a work meeting. I’d made a doctor’s appointment, and they hadn’t found anything wrong. But things got worse. Until, one day, I missed a really big event and ended up signing off sick. That had been three months ago, and I was steadily worsening.
Everything was confusing. Doctors had me undergo numerous tests but found nothing.
Initially, Garry was supportive and covered for me at work. We both worked in finance. Garry also finally ensured I took the time required to recover. I knew Garry had moved into my office and role, and I’d been grateful to him for covering for me. God knows I dealt with some damn big clients, and they needed someone who had all their faculties present.
Today was just another example of how forgetful and dazed I was becoming. I’d got the lamb out while feeding the girls their breakfast; I was sure of it. And then I’d zoned out while cleaning the house and doing the laundry. As usual, I fell asleep around noon and woke up a couple of hours later, even more confused.
This was a disaster.
Garry was having a big client over, and he’d promised a special dinner. A dinner that wouldn’t be ready. Because somehow I’d thought I’d got the leg of lamb out and hadn’t. Shit on a stick. Crap, it wouldn’t defrost in three hours. I was clueless about what to do.
Then I remembered the restaurant I’d used once before in an emergency and dialled through a quick order. Okay, we wouldn’t be having roast lamb, but it would certainly be a great meal.
I paid on my credit card and sat down to wonder what had happened. Deep inside, I was convinced that I’d got the meat out. I recalled doing it. This was a situation where Garry would say I was losing the plot and all sense of reality.
I glanced at the clock again and saw another hour had passed. What the hell was wrong with me? The front door opened, and my neighbour called out to let me know she had dropped the girls off.
“Thanks, Lin,” I replied, hurrying out of the kitchen.
Isla was four, and Harper was five. They stood in the hallway, silent and uncomfortable, and my feet paused in the rush towards them. There was none of the usual running towards me for hugs and kisses. They waited until I came close and remained still. Puzzlement rose.
“What’s wrong?”
“Daddy said we’re not to bother you as you’re ill,” Isla replied.
Anger surged, and my throat felt like it was closing. “Daddy’s being silly,” I murmured, forcing a smile. “I’ve always got time for my babies.”
“Daddy said we’re too loud and need to learn to be quiet,” Harper muttered, and her head ducked low.
A punch smacked me metaphorically in my gut. Shit, what was going on here? Had my illness caused this? Isla and Harper had never been quiet. Yet, their entire demeanour had changed. The question kept running around my mind: how had I missed this?
I felt a wave of dizziness hit and reached out to hold the doorjamb, and I saw guilt cross Harper’s face.
“It’s okay, Mommy, we’ve eaten. Daddy gives Lin money to do our dinner,” Harper said.
“But I’ve been cooking your meals,” I retorted, horrified.
Isla and Harper swapped gazes and then shook their head.
“No, Mommy, you’ve not cooked for a long time,” Harper replied.
