Page 156 of Everything She Feared

“It’s horrible.” Sara squeezed the tissue in her fist. “I’m so scared.”

Marjorie rubbed Sara’s shoulder.

“They didn’t show you, or Katie, on the news. Or say your names,” Marjorie said. “I don’t believe for a second the things being said. This could be a big awful mistake.”

Sara shook her head.

“Mom, we both know what’s really happening.”

“Do we really know everything?”

Sara recounted everything to her mother about Anna Shaw’s death, about Katie, the necklace, Katie’s bad thoughts, Dr. Mehta, the police, getting a lawyer, every detail, every fear. She held nothing back. She reached into her bag for Katie’s notebook and flipped to the sketch of Katie and Anna on the cliff. Looking at it, pain and love filled Marjorie’s face.

Then from her bag, Sara pulled the old envelopes related to Magda’s letter to her parents.

“I found these hidden in the attic.”

Marjorie looked at them in Sara’s hand.

“You never told me that she contacted you from prison,” Sara said. “You never told me what she wanted. Why?”

Staring at them, Marjorie released a soft groan, then said: “I wanted to protect you.”

“What did she want?”

Marjorie looked off to her calendar on the wall at today’s date, which she’d marked with a tiny heart.

“You know, it’s funny,” Marjorie said. “Today’s the day you officially and legally became our daughter.”

“Yes, Mom. But tell me, I have a right to know. What did Magda want?”

“She wanted to see you when she got out of prison. She wanted to know if she had grandchildren. She wanted to be part of your life.”

“Part of my life?” Sara was stunned. “Where’s her letter?”

“I burned it. Dad and I decided no good would come from sharing that with you. So, I told Magda no.”

“You wrote back to her?”

“Yes.”

“But what if she got your address and came to our house?”

“I was careful to go through the Montana Attorney General, to protect us. Magda didn’t even know our names.”

Sara stared at the envelopes.

“Maybe I was wrong,” Marjorie said, “to deprive you of the decision to see her. I only wanted to protect you.”

“What did you tell her?”

“I told her in no uncertain terms that she could never be part of your life and to never try contacting you again.”

“What did she say? Did she write back?”

“No. We never heard from her again. Even after she got out of prison and disappeared. It’s been more than seven years now. That was the end of it. I’m sorry I never told you. I wanted to keep it buried in the past. I would do anything to protect you from her. Maybe I was wrong to bring you up with so many secrets, seeing what it’s done to our family now. I am so, so sorry.” Marjorie searched her eyes. “Did you ever wish to see her?”

“Never.” Sara looked at Katie’s sketch. “But we know the truth, Mom. It’s not the end of it. Look at what’s happened.”

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