Page 1 of River
PROLOGUE
Stay
River
“Mum,” I called as I ran to the small room down the hallway. Opening the door, I stepped inside the bare room. Not a chair, closet, or bed was in there. Just an empty room with old flowery wallpaper and wooden floorboards that creaked when I walked across them. “I brought you something to eat.”
My mother lay on the floor. Her body didn’t move as I got down on my knees in front of her.
"Mum," I called and placed a glass of apple juice and a plate with toast next to her. “Mum.” With my hand now free, I shook her shoulder a little. It made her jerk awake.
Curled up on the floor, my mum opened her eyes and then pushed up on her elbow. “Look at you, sweet girl. How are you feeling?”
“Good,” I lied because even though I was only seven, I understood my mum was too fragile to handle the truth.
Brushing a hand through her tangled hair, she smiled at me and took the glass I pressed into her hands.
“Drink,” I muttered and watched my mother’s hands shake as she lifted the glass and drank the contents with eagerness.
“You’re cold, Mum. Your hands are freezing.”
“It’s fine. Don’t worry about me, my butterfly. It’s just a bit drafty in this room.”
My lips were downturned, and my eyebrows pinched together as I looked to the old windows. “Why do you stay here? Why can’t you sleep with me in our room like we used to?”
My mother reached for the plate and took a big bite of the toasted bread. When a bit of jam fell onto her hand, she licked it off. “It won’t last long now. I’m only doing it to prove to Conor that I’m loyal to him.”
“What does that mean?”
Still chewing, she caressed my hair and cupped my face. After swallowing the bread, she said, “It’s nothing for you to worry about.”
“But I don’t understand. I heard you and Conor argue. He made you cry.”
My mother looked distressed. “What did you hear?”
“You said that you loved him and that you had given him everything you owned. He told you that you were a selfish thief.”
“It’s gonna be fine. Conor thinks I’m keeping some money hidden from him, but I’m not. Everything I had in my name, I’ve donated to his foundation.
My mum kept holding on to my face, and our closeness made her brown eyes look more prominent than usual. Her warm eyes had always been my favorite thing about her, but now they made me sad. They weren’t bright and shining with happiness. They were red-rimmed and moist.
“That’s why I’m in this room, little butterfly. To prove to Conor that I don’t need anything for myself. I’m not a selfish person.”
“But it’s been over a week.” The sadness and worry on her face made me tear up. “I don’t like sleeping alone.”
“It won’t be long now. I’ll talk to Conor, and he’ll see that I’m his most loyal friend.”
“You promise?”
“Yes, I promise.”
My mum pulled me closer and rocked me back and forth in a hug. “I’m doing this for you, my love. Did you know that Atlas and Lumi are already years ahead of their peers academically? You’ll never have a better teacher than Conor. We’re so lucky that we get to live here.”
I looked around the bleak room. “You don’t even have a blanket or a pillow.”
“But I have you.” My mum’s smile was sad as she stroked my arm. “My special butterfly. Do you know how rare it is to have blond hair and pretty brown eyes like you?”
I looked away, but my mum used her hand to pull at my chin and get me to look at her. “Don’t ever underestimate the power of beauty. It was my beauty that caught your father’s eyes. Do you know why I named you River?”
