could really give herself over to her painting. She would protest that she loved her kids, but Anna knew better. Anna feared Jilly’s outbursts were because she was angry about Anna graduating, which meant she would soon be leaving. As much as Anna loved Jilly, she admitted to herself that going away would be a relief. Emotion exhausted her.
“Anna?” Jilly called, but she sounded strange and far away.
“Oh, God!” Anna jumped up in a shot and flew through the locked door as if it were paper, the doorjamb breaking and the lock forced open. Anna stopped in shock at Jilly sprawled across her bed, blood flowing freely down her thin, white arms and soaking into the pink bed cover. “Jilly, what did you do?” Anna moaned as she gathered her sister close and pressed the blanket against her sliced wrists. “Oh, Jilly.”
Anna grabbed the phone from Jilly’s night table and dialed 911 while trying with her other hand to stanch the blood flow. She told them to hurry while she rocked her sister back and forth.
“Why did you do this to yourself? A fight isn’t worth hurting yourself over.”
“I’m sorry. I’m stupid.”
“No!” Anna gripped Jilly tighter in her arms. “No, you’re not stupid.”
“I just wanted it to stop,” Jilly mumbled into Anna’s chest. “It’s too much sometimes. Don’t you know what I mean?”
“Yes, honey, I do know, but this is no way to make it stop.”
“I know. I just wanted it all to stop.”
She knew Jilly cut herself sometimes. They were working on that, but she never thought Jilly would actually try to kill herself.
A siren came up the block and Anna quickly looked at Jilly’s arms. The blood seemed to be clotting a little, but it still flowed. Anna tucked Jilly’s arms closer to her, with the blanket wrapped around them, kissed Jilly’s forehead and went to meet the paramedics.
“She’s up here.” Anna led them up the stairs, doing everything to keep herself from falling to pieces. “She cut her wrists.” As soon as she said that, she felt their stares fall on her like ten-pound weights.
Chapter 7
The café was crowded, noisy with the transient flow of tourists making their way to Vancouver. Hope was the obvious stop for lunch and filling up the gas tank. It swelled several hundred daily in the summertime in a town that had been built for only a few thousand. Anna figured most of the people who lived in Hope, in the shadow of the Cascade Mountains, were either nature lovers or hiding from something. Many teens grew up and left as soon as they were emancipated.
Rob had been one of them, although he came back as soon as he realized he’d never be as big a fish in Vancouver as he could be in Hope. His parents practically ran the town. Rob’s father was the mayor, but everyone knew who really ran things. The mayor’s wife. Rob was the most successful real estate agent in town due to his mother paving the way for her only son. Few people liked the Gallos, but everyone pretended they did.
Anna sat at her favorite table in the back corner. From that vantage point, she could observe the room unnoticed. Mamma had often called her a ghost, saying she liked to hover around and watch everyone without being seen. It wasn’t until university that she realized people-watching was a common trait among writers. She could learn about people, psychology, in order to accurately portray them in fiction. Except Anna had done much research, but hadn’t yet put pen to paper outside of her work.
Mel had agreed to meet her for coffee, but Anna wondered if she’d show up. She and Jilly had effectively ruined Mel’s highly anticipated event. Anna hoped her friend would be able to forgive them. She hadn’t called Mel until a few days had passed, hoping she would be less upset.
Mel opened the door of the Blue Moose Café and looked around. She found Anna and gave her a quick smile. It faded as soon as it
“Anna?” Jilly called, but she sounded strange and far away.
“Oh, God!” Anna jumped up in a shot and flew through the locked door as if it were paper, the doorjamb breaking and the lock forced open. Anna stopped in shock at Jilly sprawled across her bed, blood flowing freely down her thin, white arms and soaking into the pink bed cover. “Jilly, what did you do?” Anna moaned as she gathered her sister close and pressed the blanket against her sliced wrists. “Oh, Jilly.”
Anna grabbed the phone from Jilly’s night table and dialed 911 while trying with her other hand to stanch the blood flow. She told them to hurry while she rocked her sister back and forth.
“Why did you do this to yourself? A fight isn’t worth hurting yourself over.”
“I’m sorry. I’m stupid.”
“No!” Anna gripped Jilly tighter in her arms. “No, you’re not stupid.”
“I just wanted it to stop,” Jilly mumbled into Anna’s chest. “It’s too much sometimes. Don’t you know what I mean?”
“Yes, honey, I do know, but this is no way to make it stop.”
“I know. I just wanted it all to stop.”
She knew Jilly cut herself sometimes. They were working on that, but she never thought Jilly would actually try to kill herself.
A siren came up the block and Anna quickly looked at Jilly’s arms. The blood seemed to be clotting a little, but it still flowed. Anna tucked Jilly’s arms closer to her, with the blanket wrapped around them, kissed Jilly’s forehead and went to meet the paramedics.
“She’s up here.” Anna led them up the stairs, doing everything to keep herself from falling to pieces. “She cut her wrists.” As soon as she said that, she felt their stares fall on her like ten-pound weights.
Chapter 7
The café was crowded, noisy with the transient flow of tourists making their way to Vancouver. Hope was the obvious stop for lunch and filling up the gas tank. It swelled several hundred daily in the summertime in a town that had been built for only a few thousand. Anna figured most of the people who lived in Hope, in the shadow of the Cascade Mountains, were either nature lovers or hiding from something. Many teens grew up and left as soon as they were emancipated.
Rob had been one of them, although he came back as soon as he realized he’d never be as big a fish in Vancouver as he could be in Hope. His parents practically ran the town. Rob’s father was the mayor, but everyone knew who really ran things. The mayor’s wife. Rob was the most successful real estate agent in town due to his mother paving the way for her only son. Few people liked the Gallos, but everyone pretended they did.
Anna sat at her favorite table in the back corner. From that vantage point, she could observe the room unnoticed. Mamma had often called her a ghost, saying she liked to hover around and watch everyone without being seen. It wasn’t until university that she realized people-watching was a common trait among writers. She could learn about people, psychology, in order to accurately portray them in fiction. Except Anna had done much research, but hadn’t yet put pen to paper outside of her work.
Mel had agreed to meet her for coffee, but Anna wondered if she’d show up. She and Jilly had effectively ruined Mel’s highly anticipated event. Anna hoped her friend would be able to forgive them. She hadn’t called Mel until a few days had passed, hoping she would be less upset.
Mel opened the door of the Blue Moose Café and looked around. She found Anna and gave her a quick smile. It faded as soon as it
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