Page 78 of Releasing 10
Was I bad?
Did I do something wrong?
Was he cross with me?
He didn’tsoundcross.
In fact, he was humming a song under his breath while he scribbled in his copybook. I knew the song. It was the one playing on his Walkman the first day we met—“Send Me on My Way” by Rusted Root.
My heart slammed hard against my rib cage then, and with it came a flood of emotion. Feelings: they bombarded my heart, rushing through me like a river.
I was feeling.
I couldfeelagain.
I didn’t have to scream to make the lady go away, either.
She disappeared when he found me in the tub.
She was afraid of Hugh.
Because he was good.
Because he was brave.
A brave knight.
A wave of relief washed over me, and I gripped the blanket draped over me, allowing my heavy eyelids to close.
Mark didn’t fix me this time.
Hughdid.
And he didn’t have to hurt me to do it…
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION AND FIRST DEAD BODY
Hugh
MAY 6, 1995
WHEN OUR FAMILIES BOARDED THE BOAT ONSATURDAY AFTERNOON, IREMEMBEREDthinking it was one of the best days of my life. Looking fancy in our First Holy Communion suits, Gibsie and I leaned over the side of the boat, watching the dolphins chase us as we sailed out to sea.
I remembered spending most of our time planning all the ways we could spend our fortunes. We knew we had made alotof cash today. Our mothers had stacks of thick envelopes shoved into their handbags.
All filled with money and all for us.
It should have been the best day of our lives, but instead, it became our worst day.
One moment, Gibs and I were arguing with our sisters over a stupid toy laser beam, and the next, one of them had fallen overboard.
Everything happened so fast, and yet time seemed to slow down.
One minute, Bethany was there and the next she wasn’t.
Time seemed to stand still for a long beat before Sadhbh’s high-pitched scream shook the earth’s core.
It was the worst, scariest noise I’d ever heard in my life.
