Page 2 of Bad Business

Arriving at the preschool, I park haphazardly and rush inside. Maggie, the school director, looks up in surprise.

“I’m here to pick up Juniper,” I say breathlessly.

“Is everything okay, Miss Rivers?” she asks, concern etched on her face as she glances at me and then at the officer who’s taken up residence in the chair near the entrance. “He wouldn’t tell us anything… only that he was here as a precaution due to an incident involving Juniper’s mother.”

“No, everything is not alright,” I reply, my voice breaking. “Her mother… my sister… Lark… she’s gone.” I fight the tears and push down the grief threatening to pull me under. “I need to see Juniper.”

The school director’s eyes widen in shock, but she quickly composes herself. “Of course, I’ll get her right away.”

Moments later, my two-year-old niece, Juniper, comes down the hallway, her small face lighting up when she sees me.

“Aunt Wiwwo!” she exclaims, wrapping her arms around my legs.

I kneel, hugging her tightly, tears streaming down my face. “Hi, sweetheart. We need to go, okay?”

“Otay,” she says. Sensing the seriousness in my tone, she glances at my face. “Why you crying, Aunt Wiwwo?” Hearing her say my name and the way she says her l’s brings a smile to my face.

“I’m just glad to see you. You ready for our adventure?”

As we walk out of the preschool, I know that the hardest part is yet to come—explaining to Juniper that her mother is never coming back and being strong for both of us. But for now, all that matters is that she’s not alone. We have each other, and somehow, we will find a way through this.

Watching them lower my sister’s coffin into the ground beside my parents’ graves earlier today has left me filled with conflicting emotions. One part of me is relieved she’s getting to be with them again. The other is pissed as hell that she’s been taken from me and would never see her beautiful daughter grow up and become a woman.

Juniper clings to me, her nearly three-year-old mind unable to fully comprehend what’s happening. “Is Mommy at heaven now?”

Clutching her against my side, I whisper, “Yes, baby, she is in heaven with Grandma and Grandpa.”

She grips my hand in hers and shrugs. “Can we go to Donald’s? My bewy’s hungy.”

Glancing down at her, I force a smile. “Not today, baby, but there’s lots to eat.”

“Is dis a pawty?”

“Kind of.” I watch as people start to filter out of the house, leaving us to the emptiness I feel now that Lark is gone. Even though she’s gone on overnight trips for work, this feels different. “You wanna go find a snack?”

She tilts her head, her dark ringlets falling into her face. “Am I gonna to wive with da man now?”

I stiffen at her question. Juniper’s father has never been in the picture—he hasn’t been since Lark found out she was pregnant. As it turned out, he was married and didn’t want his wife to learn of his affair. Lark had been ashamed but insisted she had no idea. The bastard had been living a double life. When she refused to get an abortion, he immediately agreed to sign away his rights and pretend the baby didn’t exist. Lark had been devastated, but once Juniper was born, she knew she’d made the right choice.

Hearing Juniper ask about a man leaves me feeling perplexed. “What man, sweetie?” I ask gently, trying to keep my voice steady.

“Da man at Mommy’s house. He said he was gonna to take me if she didn’t do summin, but Mommy yewwed and then tooked me to school.”

“Did he say his name?” I probe, confused at what my niece is sharing with me.

She bites down on her lip in concentration, then shakes her head no. “Can I get some cookies and go pway?”

“Sure, baby.” I watch as she takes off down the hallway, her young mind oblivious to the turmoil around her.

“She doesn’t understand, does she?”

Brian’s voice startles me out of my thoughts.

“No, but her grief will come when Lark isn’t here, and she realizes her disappearance is permanent. Right now, she thinks her momma is gone on a trip and will be home later.” I hang my head, pressing the palms of my hands against my eyes. “I see this every day in my practice… I didn’t think I’d be dealing with it personally.”

“And you? How are you doing?” He props himself against the counter, searching my face. Brian and I have dated on and off for the last few months. He wants more, but now, a relationship with him seems unfair. Juniper is going to need all of me.

“I’m fine… I have to be for her. What can you tell me about what happened?” My hands clench open and close as I hold his gaze. “I know there’s more, and Juniper said something that confused me.”

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