I listened to Kate complain. She had the same complains she'd had since Sang had turned three. Six years of the same conversation. I could half listen and still respond appropriately. Kate was unhinged, nuts, crazy, cuckoo for coca puffs.
I hated relying on crazy to keep my secret. My secrets.
I rubbed my forehead, staring out my window. It was October, and Lyric always showed up in October.
"You keep her away from here. We gave her the DNA, we gave her the birth certificate. We've sent Sang away every year. They have never seen her. Lyric never sees her. We did everything you told us to do. Keep her out of my life, Constance."
I sighed. "Kate," I began.
"No," Kate said. "I'm done with this. The girl is more trouble than she's worth. You keep her away, or I'll give her back. And I'll tell her everything."
She hung up the phone and I put my head in my hands. I'd kill her before I let her tell anyone what I'd done. Nothing worked out the way I thought it would. Taylor was still with Lyric. They hadn't left her. She hadn't left them.
I thought I could break her.
I got Garret his guardianship. I helped Tim make the false police reports. I'd given Garret the flunitrazipam to take care of Lyric. Then I'd given Lyric's mother the drugs that killed her.
I'd killed the nurse.
I'd taken the baby.
I made sure that Sang spent every birthday (her actual birthday, that was) away from their family, and that another "Sang" appeared in her place.
This was not what I expected to do with the skills the Academy had taught me.
My phone rang and my mood immediately shifted. I smiled at the picture that appeared on the front of the phone, "Hi Taylor."
"Hey, Connie," his warm voice and his tone kind. "Are you coming to the graduation?"
"Yes," I answered, standing up, grabbing my keys and putting on my jacket.
He called me. He cared that I was there. I had a purpose, a reason to live. So long as Taylor was out in this world, I would do whatever I had to do to make him mine.