Page 46 of The Kidnapped

“What? They don’t?”

“It’s kind of adorable that you have no idea what you’re doing,” Raleigh said softly, just for Hollis to hear. “They do not come washed, no,” she added in her normal indoor voice. “Even if they did, you should always wash your vegetables.”

“I don’t really like vegetables,” Hollis told her.

“I know. I watched you stab carrots and peas for, like, an hour at the hospital, and you only ate a bite.”

“The recipe is on the card there,” Olivia said. “Maybe you should walk her through it while I go lie down for a bit.”

“Are you okay?” Hollis turned in place immediately and probably hadn’t realized Raleigh was that close.

Raleigh stared at her for a second. Hollis stared back. Her blue eyes were perfect. The worry in them for her mother was not, however, so Raleigh stepped to the side.

“I’m fine. But now that Raleigh’s here, she can make sure you don’t burn anything and that I don’t have dirt in my mushrooms.” Olivia stood slowly.

“Give me a minute. I want to walk her to bed,” Hollis said to Raleigh.

“I’m just going to the sofa,” Olivia stated.

“I still want to walk you there.”

An hour later, they’d finished eating their dinner. Raleigh and Olivia had the mushroom chicken, while Hollis had a plain piece of chicken that looked pathetic on the plate, along with some mashed potatoes that Raleigh had helped her with. Raleigh thought the dish turned out pretty good, and Olivia seemed to like having something other than hospital food. It was getting late, though, and Raleigh could tell Olivia was getting tired.

“I can do the dishes if you want to get her to bed,” she offered as she stood next to Hollis at the counter, having brought some dishes over.

“No, you don’t do dishes; you’re a guest,” Hollis told her. Then, she leaned in conspiratorially and added, “And I already got in trouble for not helping you with your coat.”

Raleigh smiled at her and said, “You loved it, didn’t you?”

“I did.” Hollis smiled back. “Is it weird that I liked getting in trouble with my mom because it means I have her back?”

Raleigh shook her head and replied, “No.”

Hollis then helped her mother to the living room, but Raleigh couldn’t resist helping out with the dishes, and by the time Hollis returned, most of them were already in the dishwasher.

“If I get in trouble, it’s on you,” Hollis noted.

“I’m almost done. Want to help me dry?” she asked, tossing a rag in Hollis’s direction.

“Thank you,” she said, moving to stand beside her.

“For what?”

“Checking on me. I’ve never had anyone do that before.”

“You don’t have to thank me for worrying about you.” Raleigh passed Hollis a pan.

“And thanks for helping me cook. I’ve been surviving on grilled cheese and TV dinners.”

“How are you so skinny?” Raleigh asked, laughing.

“I’m not skinny.”

“Yes, you are,” Raleigh pointed out, looking at Hollis’s baggy sweater and jeans. “You’re covering it up now, but I don’t know how you eat how you do, and you don’t gain weight. Do you work out or something?”

“No. I think what you’re seeing is that I’ve lost weight since this whole thing started,” Hollis shared. “I think I’ve lost about ten pounds since I found out. Combine that with eating healthier since moving in here, and I look thinner.”

Raleigh handed her the lid from the pan to dry and asked, “How is she?”

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