Page 29 of Forever Frenzy

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Mercedes’ pursed lips said it all. “Do you want to sit down, Father?” she asked.

“Who are you?” Confusion wrinkled his face as he sank into a sturdier chair, one with arms he could use to push himself up with when he needed to stand.

“Mercedes.”

He chuckled. “A handful, that one.” He smiled and fixed his attention on me again.

“Miranda, you need to hold Porschia. She needs her mother.”

I looked at Mercedes, who looked away quickly.

“I will, Carson. I know.”

He nodded resolutely. “I knew you’d see one day how special your girls are, and now that you’re expecting again, we’ll soon add another. Maybe a boy this time.”

“Maybe.” I played along, my heart peeling apart one layer at a time.

Seth faded away before me.

“I should go, Cedes.”

She nodded. “Yeah. Roman’s staying with him tonight.”

I hated talking about my father like he wasn’t there. “Can he come live with you?”

“He won’t leave the house,” she whispered.

Father’s chin lay against his chest as he began to snore.

“How long has he been like this?”

“It’s pretty recent. Garreth checked on him yesterday, and he thinks he may have suffered a stroke; either that, or dementia has set in.”

“I’m so sorry I can’t be here to help you.”

She waved me off, tears building in her eyes, threatening to break free of their dam.

“You may have saved us all again, Porsch. Sekhmet was a monster.”

Now I was. I was a monster stuck in The Sand, unable to help my sister with our father. Mercedes was sick. I could see that now. Her pallor was dull and gray. As I looked her over, I could see that her stomach wasn’t right. Something in her lower abdomen glowed.

“Why are you staring at me like that?” she asked cautiously.

“I miss you.”

“Can you come back and visit in a day or two?” she asked, wiping her cheeks.

“Of course.”

She nodded as I let The Sand pull me back.

Tage was waiting with Seth, and from the dark look on his face, Seth had already told him about Father’s state of mind.

God. He called me Miranda.

Did I look so much like her?

Seth shifted on his feet. “I have something to tell you.”

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