Revelations
Now
"Are you sure?" Isaac asked gently.
I looked at Kayla, who stirred her coffee. Then back at him.
"I need to know why she changed her mind," I told him.
"You know you didn't do this," he said, squeezing my hand. "I know you, Nina. You're not a killer. And now your mom sees that too."
I glance at Kayla. "Do you?"
She looked startled. "Of course I don't think that you did this."
"Then why did you let her take you away from me?"
"She thought it was best," Kayla said quietly. "She panicked. Can you blame her? We'd gone out for a few hours, then came home to find you—find him—"
I reached for my sister, but she recoiled like I'd slapped her. I stood up quickly, my heart thundering in the small space around us.
"I can't," I said. "I can't do this if you won't believe me."
"I do," she insisted. "I'm sorry. It's been such a stressful time. Please, come with me to see Mom. It's been so long."
It's been so long. Like we were all on good terms with one another, but I haven't visited in a while.
I wanted to laugh.
"Will she remember me?"
The doors to the hospital glide open as we walked over the threshold, and my chest tightened as I looked around.
"Oh, you're back, Kayla," a nurse smiled at us, her blue eyes watching me. Then her face fell. "I see you've brought a guest."
She knew exactly who I was.
"This is Nina," Kayla said softly. "I told you about her."
I told you about her.
Everyone knows me, even here.
I swallowed nervously, and tried to smile.
"It's nice to meet you. Have you been taking care of our mother?"
The nurse glared at me, but nodded. "Yes, I have. She's been a real mess."
This is your fault, is what she meant to say.
"And who is this?" she indicated Isaac with a hard expression. She was judging him. She wondered how he could be with someone like me. "Sorry, family only."
She didn't sound sorry. I pictured her taking him by the shoulders, telling him to run away as far as he could, before I hurt him too.
I dropped his hand, and shook my head.
"I'll be back soon," I said.
I walked beside Kayla, down a long, white hallway. When we reached my mother's room, I read the small card tacked to the wall.
PATIENT NAME: MADISON BENTLEY
I wanted to take the card. To have something to remember her by.
Because I didn't know what version of my mother was beyond that door.
I looked at Kayla, who stirred her coffee. Then back at him.
"I need to know why she changed her mind," I told him.
"You know you didn't do this," he said, squeezing my hand. "I know you, Nina. You're not a killer. And now your mom sees that too."
I glance at Kayla. "Do you?"
She looked startled. "Of course I don't think that you did this."
"Then why did you let her take you away from me?"
"She thought it was best," Kayla said quietly. "She panicked. Can you blame her? We'd gone out for a few hours, then came home to find you—find him—"
I reached for my sister, but she recoiled like I'd slapped her. I stood up quickly, my heart thundering in the small space around us.
"I can't," I said. "I can't do this if you won't believe me."
"I do," she insisted. "I'm sorry. It's been such a stressful time. Please, come with me to see Mom. It's been so long."
It's been so long. Like we were all on good terms with one another, but I haven't visited in a while.
I wanted to laugh.
"Will she remember me?"
**
The doors to the hospital glide open as we walked over the threshold, and my chest tightened as I looked around.
"Oh, you're back, Kayla," a nurse smiled at us, her blue eyes watching me. Then her face fell. "I see you've brought a guest."
She knew exactly who I was.
"This is Nina," Kayla said softly. "I told you about her."
I told you about her.
Everyone knows me, even here.
I swallowed nervously, and tried to smile.
"It's nice to meet you. Have you been taking care of our mother?"
The nurse glared at me, but nodded. "Yes, I have. She's been a real mess."
This is your fault, is what she meant to say.
"And who is this?" she indicated Isaac with a hard expression. She was judging him. She wondered how he could be with someone like me. "Sorry, family only."
She didn't sound sorry. I pictured her taking him by the shoulders, telling him to run away as far as he could, before I hurt him too.
I dropped his hand, and shook my head.
"I'll be back soon," I said.
I walked beside Kayla, down a long, white hallway. When we reached my mother's room, I read the small card tacked to the wall.
PATIENT NAME: MADISON BENTLEY
I wanted to take the card. To have something to remember her by.
Because I didn't know what version of my mother was beyond that door.