Page 64 of Truth (Wicked Empire 2)

“Are you really, Amy?” she asked, her voice taking on an almost somber tone.

“For a little while, I wasn’t. But I am. I promise.”

“I—I…well, that’s good to hear,” she finally said.

“I hope I didn’t call too late,” I said after a few seconds had passed.

“No. You know me. Getting ready to watch my last program before bed,” she said.

I’d been anticipating that, and was glad that I had caught her.

“What about you? What are you up to?”

The question was innocuous enough, but I suddenly felt a bit of apprehension.

Davit hadn’t told me not to tell anyone where I was, but it seemed prudent not to.

“I’m fine. Just getting ready for bed,” I said.

I hoped God would forgive me for the lie, though I planned on taking another nap when I got back, so maybe it wasn’t that big of a lie.

“Have you been taking care of yourself?”

“Of course I have,” I responded.

“You say that like it’s a given, but with you, I never know,” she chided.

“I’m sorry,” I said.

She hadn’t said anything directly, but then again, she didn’t have to. I could hear her worry, and knew that she had been concerned about me.

“Sorry for what, Amy?” she said.

“You know. Leaving like that,” I said.

She sighed. “I’m sorry that you didn’t feel like you could talk to me.”

“Carol, it had nothing to do with you,” I said.

Another true statement, but one I couldn’t expand on.

“You say that, but if you had told me you were so upset about Keenan, I might have been able to help.”

“There’s nothing you could have done,” I responded.

“I could have tried, Amy. I never said this, but I love you as much as I would have my own daughter. If you were hurting, I wish you would have come to me,” she said.

I heard something almost like heartbreak in her voice, but I knew that I had done the right thing.

Though I couldn’t explain it to Carol, I hoped somehow she would understand.

“I know. And if there was something you could have done, I would have come to you. But I’m better now,” I said.

“So you’re telling me that topic is off limits?” She let out a little chuckle.

I laughed in response. “Like I can tell you anything.”

“Well, at least you haven’t forgotten that,” she said.

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