“Don’t wander off. I’ll be done in just a few minutes and we’ll need to leave quickly after that. Got it?” I looked at my sister and waited for her to acknowledge me. She was looking for our mother – she always was these days.
“She’s not here,” I said softly. “She never liked coming to the mall.”
Instead of answering, Ashley slumped and looked at the ground. I wanted to tell her everything was going to be okay and we would see our mother soon. But I knew it wouldn’t be the truth. I had no idea where our mother went and had no idea if she planned to come home.
I was just hoping Ashley would start talking before too long. I was starting to get worried she was going to forget how to speak.
As soon as we had paid for Ashley’s new jeans, I quickly ushered her toward the door. I knew if she didn’t get home soon, she would break down again and I would be left to pick up the pieces.
Ever since our mother disappeared, Ashley was almost completely withdrawn. She was constantly on the lookout for our mother and hadn’t said a single word in at least two months. I was hoping she was still answering questions at school, but I had a suspicion her teachers had stopped calling on her because of her self-imposed silence. The last thing I was expecting was to find the police on our doorstep. Waiting for us.
Standing Room Only 