Page 59 of Escaping Our Reality

Lulu stares into his eyes. “Plus, she would never leave me, willingly. Alone. Withthem.”

“Speaking of, I called them earlier this week to tell them about the leads. They never called me back.”

She shrugs. “Didn’t you see Dad’s interview in the newspaper about doing the gallbladder removal for the president of the university? And Mom had some kind of tennis club function. So, you see, their priorities are found much higher on the social ladder than worrying about their missing daughter.”

He clears his throat, taking a drink of his coffee. “Well, I called Ray and told him. I didn’t wanna distract you from the trip presentation. He said you’re supposed to go over to his house for dinner tonight. He said he would tell you then. You can just tell him we ran into each other.”

Dinner tonight? Why didn’t she tell me? I thought we had the whole day and night together. And what trip presentation? Apparently, Lulu isn’t telling me shit.

“Thanks, Marcum.” She flicks her eyes over to me. “I hadn’t told him about the family dinner yet. Now you’ve given him time to try and back out.”

Laughing, Marcum slaps me on the shoulder, taking me by surprise. “Take it from me, son, if going to a dinner will make Ella happy, then do it. She knows how to aggravate the hell out of you if you don’t give her what she wants.”

So, he does know Lulu. Not just Ella.

“I have to go get Nancy. She’s in the hair and makeup store. The kids have a date night tonight so we get to watch Nate.” His smile jumps to ten miles wide.

Lulu tells him to send her regards to the woman named Nancy, and he walks out the door, bundling up against the cold.

She picks up her pencil and immediately goes back to doing her homework.

“Are you kidding me?” I pluck the pencil from her hand and hold it hostage in front of me. “What dinner? What trip? And who is Nancy?”

“Nancy is his wife. His son and daughter-in-law must be having a night out so they are getting to watch their grandson. He was born the same day Carrie went missing.”

“You haven’t told Marcum about the drugs?”

“Of course, I haven’t. You told me not to. So, I didn’t.”

I nod. She’s so amazing.

“Now, what’s this about a family dinner? And what trip?”

***

This is the family Lulu and Carrie should’ve been born into.

Hell, this is the familyIshould’ve been born into.

Ray and Teresa are the quintessential parents—kind, loving, funny, concerned. Their modest home is comfortable and well-taken care of. Their daughter, Raylee, is home visiting from Florida State University. Their son, Holt, stayed for dinner but then went out with friends. I guess he’s some superstar football player. You wouldn’t know it from meeting him—he’s a pretty chill young guy—but it’s hard to ignore the trophies and framed newspaper articles spread across the living room. He’s a big guy too. Leaner than me, though, and not quite as tall, just about an inch shorter.

More importantly, Lulu is completely comfortable. Completely herself.

Today’s been a great day. No interruptions from people who make Lulu prickle, who make her stand at attention like a clothes hanger is attached to her back, pulling her upright.

Raylee boxes up the board game we all just finished playing as Lulu snuggles next to me on the couch, unabashedly laying her hand across my thigh. I can’t believe I just had a family game night.

Me.

The kid who used to turn his mom on her side so she wouldn’t choke on her own vomit during the night. The kid whosaved all the pennies in his piggy bank for when his dad would need bail money. The kid who refused to tell his older brother when he was getting bullied at school for being poor because he was afraid that his brother would kill someone. Literally.

“Crutch, are you sure I can’t get you any dessert?” Teresa lingers at her chair, awaiting my answer before sitting down.

“No, ma’am. I’m absolutely stuffed. I haven’t had homemade lasagna in years. My grandma used to make it.”

She smiles, switching topics. “I remember seeing you. At one of the searches for Carrie. When we were looking in the woods, near where her car was abandoned.”

I nod, squeezing Lulu’s fingers. If she doesn’t stop rubbing my leg, I’m gonna embarrass myself with a huge boner.

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