Chapter 7
1079 Words
7
Kori Singer took one last look at herself in the bathroom mirror. She smoothed her long, brown hair around her shoulders with manicured fingers. Her pale, violet blouse was sheer, but not see-through.
She was always careful about that. It would hardly do for the parents of any of the children she treated to think she was dressed inappropriately. She wore a fitted, white cashmere cardigan over it, just in case. Everything about her outfit complemented her lean figure.
She adjusted her glasses and raised her chin. She wore makeup, but it was so skillfully applied, it was almost impossible to notice. She wore a hint of lilac fragrance, but not too much. Her breath tasted of spearmint mouthwash. Yes, she was the picture of professionalism. She nodded to herself before walking out of the room.
The bed was already made. Adam always took care of it while she was in the shower, before he left for the office. She gave the powder-blue comforter a tug and adjusted one of the decorative accent pillows to her satisfaction.
She appreciated that her husband always made the bed, but he could never seem to put everything just so. He was more interested in getting the task done than how it actually looked.
Once the bedroom had been put to rights, she went downstairs and picked up her chic, designer briefcase and purse. Both matched her outfit perfectly. She slipped on a pair of low heels and went over to the baby gate that marked the entrance to the living room. Her shoes clicked against the tile floor of the front hallway.
Her son was sprawled on the spotless, cream carpet, clutching a blue crayon. The tip of his tongue emerged from between his teeth as he focused on the construction paper in front of him. His unbrushed, brown curls lay carelessly against his brow. Kori resisted the urge to go find a comb.
There was no time for that.
Kevin was always drawing. Sometimes, Kori worried that he lived in a world all his own. He seemed unchanged by his abduction, even though only a few weeks had passed. In his mind, his kidnapping had been a grand adventure, ending with a daring rescue by his beloved Aunt Kira.
Or was that only what Kori wanted to believe? She shook her head to herself. Even though she was a child psychologist with her own, private practice, she knew she was too close to the matter to have unclouded judgment.
Either way, Kevin had no idea what kind of stress his disappearance had caused, or how it had created a rift between his mother and aunt.
Even though Kira had been the one to find Kevin, she had also been the reason he had been taken in the first place. The Procurer had used Kevin as leverage against Kira to prevent her from trying to discover his identity. He had even warned her he would do so, before he had acted.
Kori would never forgive her for that.
But every day, Kevin drew pictures of him and his Aunt Kira, asking his parents when she was coming over. Kori didn’t have the heart to tell him the truth—that he would never see Kira again.
Kori had been adamant about the issue, despite the cajoling of her mother and the tenuous suggestions of her own husband.
Neither of them seemed to understand.
As long as Kira persisted in her foolish crime-fighting enterprise, and her personal crusade against the Procurer, she was a danger to everyone around her. Kori and her sister had never been close, but Kori had known Kira her entire life. She knew that once her sister was committed to something, she would never walk away. It wasn’t in her nature.
So Kori protected the life that was the most precious to her the only way she knew how—by making sure Kira stayed away.
As far as Kori knew, Kira had respected her wishes. There was no evidence of secret visits while both she and Adam were at work. Kevin’s nanny had been informed that Kira was no longer a welcome visitor. And Kevin’s continued requests to see Kira only confirmed Kori’s belief that her sister had taken her demand seriously.
She knew Kira was sorry for what had happened, but what good did that do? Being sorry wouldn’t bring Kevin back if he was taken a second time…
“Headed off for the day?” Sara said as she popped her blond head out of the kitchen.
Kori gave the young woman a nod. “Just saying ‘bye’ to this little guy.”
She dropped her briefcase and purse to step over the baby gate. Kevin looked up at her with a happy smile.
“Are you going to be good for Sara today?” Kori asked, just like always.
Kevin nodded, his brown curls flopping around his face. “We’re going to the park!”
Kori threw her arms around him and smoothed back his hair. “Have fun, baby.” She kissed his round cheek.
“Are you going to see Aunt Kiwa?” He turned his face up at her with a hopeful look that tugged at her heartstrings.
“I don’t know,” Kori hedged with a shrug. She couldn’t bring herself to lie to him. “Maybe.”
“Can you give her this?” He thrust a crayon drawing toward her. As far as Kori could tell, it depicted a pair of figures, facing a hairy monster. One of them had a ponytail.
“I’ll give it to her if I see her,” Kori said with a tight smile.
“Promise?” Kevin asked, his blue eyes wide.
Kori suppressed a sigh. “I promise. I’d better get going though. Mommy loves you.” She gave him another kiss before rising to her feet and climbing back over the baby gate.
Kevin watched as she opened her briefcase to tuck his drawing inside with all the others he had given her to deliver to his Aunt Kira, feeling like a traitor. She shoved the emotion aside.
Kevin waved a chubby fist in the air in farewell. Kori blew him a kiss before going out the door.
The drawings in her briefcase made it seem heavier somehow. Part of her wanted nothing more than to throw the crayon drawings away, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
Not that she expected to ever give them to Kira. No, she treasured all her son’s artwork. The idea of throwing them out felt like a betrayal.
She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. She didn’t have time for this kind of unproductive nonsense. She was right to keep Kira away. She knew she was right, even though it might hurt Kevin’s feelings…
She sighed.
Time to go to work.
- Writer
