Shining Pearls

3. Claire

3

Claire

Hannah was my number one priority. My little girl needed her mother, and I hadn’t been here in over a year. I couldn’t wait to make up for lost time with her.

Besides, focusing on my sweet child would keep me from having to think about Alex’s betrayal. My mind couldn’t assimilate the loving husband I thought I knew with the man standing before me that had just been canoodling on the couch––our couch––with someone else.

Barging past him, I said, “I need to see Hannah.”

“She’s sleeping.” Alex’s soft voice infuriated me.

Whirling around, I snapped, “I think her mother coming home after being held captive for over a year is worth waking her up.”

Alex gave me one nod before reminding me, “We need to send the police to arrest your captor before he gets away.”

I froze there, staring at him. Saying the words out loud would make it all seem even more real. Bringing Alex and the police into my nightmare would mean I couldn’t pretend it was just my imagination playing horrific tricks on me anymore. I would have to face what really happened in that filthy, musty-smelling basement.

My swallow sounded loud as I tried to utter the words that were caught in my throat. Finally, I managed to croak out the words. “No big hurry. I’m pretty sure he’s dead.”

Alex’s eyes widened marginally, but he held the rest of his face in an emotionless mask as he uttered the single word through gritted teeth. “Who?”

“Kevin Durley.”

Recognition registered in Alex’s eyes after I spat the man’s name. We’d gone to school with Kevin. He’d had a crush on me. His house was three blocks from here.

The overwhelming emotions were obvious on Alex’s face as he processed these facts. His expression crumpled into one of devastation as he said, “You were so close.”

I nodded sadly before saying, “Yet so far.”

Knowing that Alex would have tons of questions as soon as his mind had a chance to work through this, I made a request. “I can’t deal with the police until tomorrow morning. I need a night to just be home before the craziness ensues.”

Rather than waiting for him to answer, I turned back to continue my trek down our hallway to Hannah’s room. Once there, I hesitated in front of her door. I’d imagined this reunion with my daughter so many times. Now that it was actually almost here, my nerves kicked into overdrive. She would be happy to see me, right? My fragile emotions couldn’t handle the heartbreak if she had forgotten me.

I sensed, rather than heard, the moment Alex approached. He stood steadily and calmly at my back, silently giving me strength. He had always been my rock. The realization that he might now be the pretty, young woman from the sofa’s rock made me feel like doubling over in agony. Instead of giving in to that urge, I forced myself to stand tall. I needed to remain strong for Hannah’s sake.

My hand hovered over the door handle. As much as I wanted to turn it and barge inside to my daughter, fear over her reaction held me back.

“She’ll be overjoyed to see you,” Alex’s confident voice rumbled near my ear, setting the tiny hairs on edge like only he could do. I closed my eyes and savored that tentative thread of a connection with him.

Taking a deep breath, I opened my daughter’s bedroom door and walked in. The nightlight illuminated the room enough that I could tell it had changed. Rather than startling her by flipping the switch for the bright light attached to the ceiling fan, I had intended to turn on the small lamp on her dresser, but it was gone––as was the dresser.

Seeming to sense my confusion as I stared at the spot where her dresser had been the last time I was in here, Alex walked over and turned on a sparkly, new lamp that sat on her dresser, which was now located on the opposite wall.

I turned a complete circle as I stared at the room around me, trying to correlate it to the one I knew. This room was a mermaid-princess undersea oasis. It was lovely, but it wasn’t my sweet Hannah’s bedroom that had been filled with a hodge-podge of everything she’d liked over the past several years from Dora the Explorer to Fancy Nancy.

The ragged stuffed giraffe sitting beside the lamp caught my eye. Snickers had been Hannah’s constant companion since she was a baby. I picked up the worn toy and closed my eyes as I held it to my face. I couldn’t believe she was sleeping without it in the bed beside her. She had always insisted that he be tucked in right next to her while she slept. How had so much changed since I’d last been here?

Alex sat down on the edge of the bed and patted Hannah’s shoulder. “Wake up, sweetheart. Mommy’s home!”

Hannah’s eyelids fluttered as she tried to process her father’s words. Her expression crumpled into one of confusion as she stared up at him and said, “Mommy’s here?”

Staring at my perfect daughter, I almost couldn’t believe I was really back. Her hair had been weaved into tight braids, her two front teeth had been replaced by bigger versions, and she looked so much more grown up. It was obvious that her father had taken excellent care of her while I was gone.

Gingerly sitting on the side of the bed across from Alex, I said through a blur of unshed tears, “I’m home, Hannah-Banana.”

Disbelief clouded her bright blue gaze as she stared up at me. “Mommy? Am I dreaming?”

I chuckled as I brushed the back of my finger along her soft, freckled cheek. “No, sweetie. You’re not dreaming. I feel like I am though. I missed you so much.”

“I missed you too, Mommy!” My daughter launched herself into my arms, and suddenly all was right with my world again.

The soft scent of strawberry shampoo and a mysterious and marvelous ‘little girl’ smell that I’ll chalk up to being fairy dust wafted up from her damp braids as we hugged. A sob caught in my throat as I clutched the very center of my existence.

As I held my daughter, all of the fear and stress of the past year fell away. I was back where I belonged, with the people who mattered to me.

I kept my arms tight around Hannah, but I lifted my head to look at Alex. A stray tear was blazing a trail down his cheek as he watched my emotional reunion with our daughter. We locked eyes over Hannah’s head, and I suddenly knew that he was still my charming, handsome, and devoted Alex––the love of my life.

It wasn’t until Hannah pulled back and spoke that the magical spell woven around us was broken. I felt my spine stiffen and heard Alex’s quick intake of breath, when Hannah gazed up at me with excited, giant blue eyes and asked, “Mommy, have you met Aunt Jo yet?”