Page 96 of Everything We Left Behind

Carla turned two shades paler. Her mouth worked, trying to form words.

“Natalya will adopt Julian and Marcus,” I said, anticipating her question. “They’ll go live with her.”

“In Hawaii?”

I nodded.

A veneer slid over her face, making it impossible to read her reaction. Her gaze jumped around the studio and landed on her purse. She went to pick it up. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to the house to rest.”

I watched her walk toward the exit. “Carla?”

Her long, bony fingers gripped the doorknob and she angled her chin in my direction.

“Is something wrong? Have I somehow upset you?”

She looked down her nose at me. Gone was the woman my family befriended and my sons looked up to like a grandmother. In her place was the woman we’d first met on the beach five years ago.

“I’m perfectly fine. It’s just entirely too hot and uncomfortable in this studio.” She left, the door softly closing behind her.

CHAPTER 29

JAMES

Present Day

June 29

Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii and San Jose, California

Short on time, James packs frantically. Natalya comes into the room with two steaming mugs of coffee as he comes out of the bathroom. He tosses his toiletries case into the packed suitcase on the bed.

“What time’s your flight?”

“Eight forty-five.” He has two hours.

“Oh! We’ve got to hurry.” She sets down the mugs. “It’ll take at least forty-five minutes to get to the airport.”

“I’ve called a cab.”

“Are you sure?”

The hesitation in her tone has James glancing up from where he’s zipping closed the roller. Natalya rubs her hands. Her gaze flutters from him to the suitcase. She chews her lower lip and he slowly straightens.

“I’m coming back,” he says quietly.

“I know, it’s just ...” She looks away and traces one of the mug’s rims where the coffee sits on the desk.

“It’s just what?”

“Is it shameful for me to admit I’m scared?”

He could write the book on shame. “No.” Because he was scared himself. “Trust me, I am coming back. My sons mean too much to me. You ... I want to see you again. A lot.”

“I want to see you, too, but that’s not what has me worried. How much did Carlos put in the journal about my conversation with Dr.Feinstein?”

“Enough, I assume. The passage was fairly extensive. I’ve also talked and met with a few medical experts myself.”

“Then you know your fugue can recur.”

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