Hello Little Girl

Chapter 33

Mary was exhausted.

She sat in the living room, staring out the front window, hardly even paying attention to her son as he played with his cars at her feet. Yet another night had passed, and Wendy was still gone. No phone call, no anything, just complete silence.

Mimi had been very patient with her the day before, and Mary appreciated it, she really did. John’s aunt had been gracious and sharing, even a little affectionate towards Scott. The little boy had enjoyed the attention, Mary saw it on his face, but she was too worried about Wendy to really be jealous.

She hadn’t slept much the night before. It was impossible, when every time she closed her eyes she saw her daughter’s face, twisted up into an ugly scowl as she screamed at her mother. Guilt weighed on Mary, heavier every second of the day.

Oh god, did she miss Robert.

Outside, a couple of boys rode by a girl walking on the sidewalk. One reached out and yanked at her hair as he whizzed past, and although Mary couldn’t hear her, she could understand the girl wasn’t too please by the look on her face. It made her think of Wendy, and the numerous times Mary had seen her run into a bit of trouble with boys. Unlike her mother, Wendy was never afraid to stand up for herself. If someone did something she didn’t like, they knew it pretty quickly. Mary shook her head absent-mindedly. Perhaps that was something John liked about her.

“When is Wendy coming home?”

Mary looked down at Scott, and at his small, innocent face. He looked so much like his sister it was almost dizzying.

“I don’t know sweetheart, I guess that’s up to her.” Mary said, leaning down to wipe a crumb from his mouth that must have been from breakfast. “But she said she wouldn’t be gone long.” Scott said, frowning. Mary paused, her mind trying to catch up with her ears. “What?” she said, lowering herself to the floor.

“She said she would be back before I knew it and then she left.”

Mary opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came to mind. Why hadn’t he said anything before? “When did she say that?”

Scott looked up at his mother, wondering why she was getting so anxious. Hadn’t Wendy told her the same thing? “Before she left.”

“She said she would be back?”

“Yes”

Mary stood, her heart racing, and paced briefly around the living room. Where could Wendy have gone for only a little while? It couldn’t have been anywhere in Liverpool, not with John. He would have been recognized, someone would have told Mimi.

Her head spinning with excitement, Mary told Scott to keep playing and then hurried up the stairs, heading for bedroom. Once, ten years ago, when Robert was still around and Scott hadn’t even been born yet, the family had taken a vacation to a Bed and Breakfast in Blackpool. Wendy had loved it so much, she talked about it for weeks afterwards. She’d always wanted to go back. Now that she was older, there was nothing stopping her.