Sold (complete)

7

"Do you think they're in Heaven?"

"I bet they are. They probably miss you so much but they want you to be brave, okay? Liam needs you to be brave."

"But my heart hurts, Anna."

"I know. It will hurt for a long time but it will get better. God would never give you something you couldn't handle."

She nodded and laid her head back on my shoulder. I wrapped my arms around her and hoisted her up. I started out of the room to take her back to her own. I was sure she wasn't allowed to sleep in a servant's room.

"Anna, can you sleep in my room tonight?"

"Anna," Liam said.

I jumped at his sudden presence. I hadn't been expecting him and he shocked the hell out of me.

"You scared me," I breathed.

"Stay with Bridget for a couple days. I'll put her nanny on some other duties."

"Are you okay?" I asked carefully.

His jaw was tight but other than that, he looked angry. I couldn't tell if he was upset or apathetic. I had never seen anyone conceal their emotions quite like that and it was unsettling.

"I'll be out of town for a few days. If you have any questions, Donny and Richard will help you."

He turned and walked away without another word. I really was worried about him. I shouldn't have been. I should have been happy he was suffering but I couldn't be, not when I had Bridget still softly crying in my arms. It was a very real moment for me to see him so hurt by the loss of his parents. Despite everything, I did feel bad for him. I knew what it was like to lose someone and I never wanted anyone to feel what I felt. It was horrible; the mistrust of everything, the anger, the sadness all converged into one overwhelming sense of loss and knowing there was nothing I could do about it made it worse. The sadness and anger were manageable but the loss of control and realizing how fragile life can be was the hard part.

I made my way back through the maze, surprised I actually remembered, and took Bridget to her room. I set her in bed but she still clung tightly to me so I laid down with her.

I wondered how this would ultimately affect her. I knew Liam would be king and, I assumed, very busy. Who would raise Bridget?

Finally, I felt her hold on me loosen and her breathing steady. I wasn't tired anymore and the sun rising threw me off. I didn't know what the time difference was but it seemed extreme.

I wanted to check on Liam because I knew he wasn't okay. I could feel it but he also seemed like the type to want his space. I wasn't going to pressure him into telling me anything and I felt like I should be with Bridget. Liam was a big boy. He could take care of himself.

I laid in Bridget's bed while she slept for hours. When she finally woke up, she looked at me and started crying. My heart went out to her; she was too young to have her parents taken from her.

"I miss my mommy," she cried.

"I know. Remember what we talked about last night?"

She nodded.

"Good. They're still watching you, Bridget. Just remember that."

"But I wanna see them."

"How about you show me a picture of them."

She crawled over to her nightstand and pulled a picture off. She held it tightly as she scooted over to me.

"That's my mommy and daddy and Liam and me last year."