Page 40 of Little Shattered Dreams

“The dining hall and her room.”

“Could she be at the spa or in a session with Karl?”

I shook my head. “She gave me a specific time to meet up for dinner, and when my mother sets a time for something, she’s never late.”

“Hmm, thatisstrange. Well, she’s gotta be around here somewhere. I would have seen her if she left. Tell you what, let me give Grace a call so she knows I’m stepping out for a few minutes, and I’ll help you find her.”

He made the call, and we headed toward an open section of the property. It was lined with multiple flower gardens and walking paths. I wanted to believe I’d find her, safe and sound, and we’d have a good laugh as she said she’d lost track of time, but I knew it wasn’t true.

Sheneverlost track of time.

A few minutes into our search, Calvin placed a hand over his eyes, shading them as he gazed into the distance. “Hey, I think I see something.”

I peered in the direction of where he was pointing and saw what looked like the back of the red jacket she’d been wearing earlier at lunch. Heart thumping, I took off, dropping to my knees when I reached her. She was sprawled out on the ground, face down. I wasn’t sure whether she’d passed out or fallen or what. Her eyes were closed, and she wasn’t moving.

Calvin knelt beside me. “Is she breathing?”

I glanced over at him, panicking as I said, “I … I don’t know.”

CHAPTER19

I reached out, trying to settle my nerves as I placed two fingers to the side of my mother’s neck. A sigh of relief came soon after.

“She’s breathing,” I said.

Calvin nodded and dialed 911.

Then he called Grace.

I scooped my mother into my arms, trying to steady my voice as I said, “Mom, I’m here. Wake up. Please.”

I felt a tap on my shoulder, and I turned toward Calvin.

“Hey, umm … Georgiana?”

“Yeah?”

“Your, umm … your hand.”

I’d been so caught up in the moment, I’d failed to notice what appeared to be blood on one of my hands, the hand I’d used to cradle her head. I pulled my hand back and examined the back of her head, identifying the wound I hadn’t noticed before. It was about the size of a quarter—not large—but large enough. I wasn’t sure how she’d acquired the wound, or when, but it wasn’t deep, and it wasn’t from a bullet.

“Do you think she tripped and fell, hitting her head on something when she landed?” Calvin asked.

If she had, I would have expected to see bruises on her face.

There were none.

Maybe they just weren’t visible yet.

“I suppose it’s a possibility,” I said. “I think it’s an even bigger possibility that there’s another explanation for what happened.”

My mother's eyes fluttered open, and she stared up at me. She seemed shocked to find me holding her.

“Georgiana? What happened? Why are you here? What’s going on?”

“Why areyouhere, Mom?” I asked.

She was silent for a time, as if trying to recall how she got here. “Well, let me see now. I took a shower and got dressed for dinner. I had about twenty minutes or so before Laura was due to meet up with me, so I decided I’d take a short walk. I never planned on being gone long. Ten minutes or so.”

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