Marked by Creed

Chapter One Hundred Eleven: The Big Sister

-----Lily's POV-----

Lily sat on the floor with her back against the couch, knees pulled up to her chest, watching Mommy pace across the room with baby Luca clutched tight against her. He was crying now—fussy and tired and probably hungry—but Mommy hadn’t stopped moving since Daddy ran out the door.

Emma was gone.

Lily didn’t understand how it happened. One minute, they were building the biggest sandcastle they’d ever made. She was using her plastic shovel to dig the moat, and Emma was collecting shells to make the top pretty. She’d only looked away for a second—maybe two—and when she looked up, her sister was chasing a crab toward the dunes.

She’d yelled for her.

Emma had waved.

And then… she wasn’t there anymore.

Mommy had screamed.

Daddy had shouted.

Then everything had gone fast. Too fast.

Now they were in the little room in the beach house, the one with the big windows and white curtains that looked out over the ocean. Lily didn’t want to look outside anymore.

She wanted her sister.

She wanted to go back to the beach and find her. But Daddy had told Mommy to stay inside, to lock the door. And Mommy was holding the baby so tight, like if she let go, something else might disappear too.

Lily sniffled and wiped her nose on her sleeve. She tried not to cry. She was the big sister now. The oldest. She had to be brave.

But she was scared.

And she felt… bad.

“Mommy?” she whispered.

Helen stopped pacing and looked at her with red-rimmed eyes.

“I’m sorry,” Lily said, voice cracking. “I should’ve watched her better.”

Helen dropped to her knees in front of her, one hand holding Luca, the other cupping Lily’s cheek.

“No, baby. No. This isn’t your fault.”

“But I was right there…”

Helen hugged her so tight Lily could barely breathe. She didn’t care. She melted into her mother’s arms, feeling the hot tears soak into her shirt.

“You did nothing wrong,” Helen whispered. “Nothing. Do you hear me?”

Lily nodded, but it didn’t stop the guilt.

Luca whimpered in Helen’s arms. She looked down at him, overwhelmed, exhausted.

“I can hold him,” Lily offered.

Helen hesitated.

“Please?” she added softly.

Helen passed the baby into her arms. Lily held him the way Daddy showed her last week—with one hand under his neck and one under his bottom. He was warm and tiny and smelled like baby lotion.

“It’s okay, Luca,” she whispered. “We’re gonna find Emma. Daddy’s looking.”

The baby blinked up at her.

She looked at Mommy.

“Daddy will find her… right?”

Helen looked like she wanted to say yes. Like she needed to say yes.

But all she could do was nod.

Lily rocked the baby in her lap and stared out the window.

Waiting.

Praying.

Hoping Daddy would bring Emma home.