My Sisters Keeper by Stephanie Parke (classic children's novels TXT) 📕

say that,” she pleaded in a low whisper “he’s been not meaning it and you have been having accidents as long as you have known him, listen to me for once in your life, if he put you in the hospital before, he will do it again or maybe worse” “You’re not safe, Please for both of your sakes think about this.”

Becky felt her temperature rise as she tightened her jaw and looked back out the window. She was sick and tired of everyone telling her what she should do. She knew enough to know that there was a chance he might do it again but she was pregnant and she did still love him and Becky was tired of Leona always mothering her, she was old enough to make her own decisions. “I have thought about this,” she said firmly looking into Leona’s eyes, “I think he really is sorry and will never do this again.”

“Becky don’t be stupid or next time one or both of you might end up dead.”

“That’s not going to happen, he loves me, he loves us,” Becky hissed curling a hand around the bump on her middle. She moved closer to Leona as their mother looked up and smiled a tired smile at them. She smiled back at her and turned back to Leona pretending to smooth a wrinkle in her gown.
“He only loves himself,” Leona hissed as she grabbed for her hand again “he doesn’t care who he hurts.”
“What do you know about anything anyway ms. perfect,” Becky gasped as her temper boiled over. Underneath it all, in those places she hid even from herself she was scared, and that made her even angrier, made her want to lash out. She pulled out of her reach and stepped back,” you picked the one man to marry who would never oppose you in any way, god it makes me sick sometimes, he’s like a lapdog.” Becky cringed inside as she saw the hurt sweep over Leona’s face but something inside her wouldn’t let her stop. “Who asked you for your opinion anyway?”

Leona jerked back as if she’d been slapped, not sure what to say. Her head was reeling and she felt her eyes fill with tears. She sucked in air through her teeth and pushed the pain aside knowing that she had to try to reach Becky. “Please think this through,” she begged quietly as she found her voice. “Please” she hissed as their mother approached them carrying her bouquet, “I’m afraid for you.” Becky stayed silent as their mother handed Leona her bouquet. Leona took it in shaking hands as her mother helped her to her feet and straightened her dress. Becky stared at her and turned to leave the room. “Leave it alone” she mouthed as she caught Leona’s eyes from the doorway. She straightened her shoulders and walked out the door leaving Leona behind her.

“Everything okay honey?” her mom asked as she pressed the bunch of lilies and white roses into her hands. Leona shook her head clearing it, finding herself praying for the first time in a long time. She fingered the silky stems and sucked in a breath, “Everything’s great.” She lied brightly as she plastered a smile on her face and patted her mother’s hand praying she was right.

After the ceremony she looked for Becky but was unable to find her. She rushed out into the heat of the parking lot and felt her heart plummet as she saw the taillights of Jay’s truck pulling out of the parking lot with Becky riding shotgun. The cloud of dust kicked up and washed over her causing her to cough and choke and for a moment she did not feel the tears washing down her cheeks. The touch of a hand on her shoulder had her turning to meet Jarod’s gaze. He pulled her close wrapping his arms around her and she snuggled against his neck and let the tears flow, wondering if she would ever see Becky again and knowing there was nothing more she could do to help her.

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Time seemed to flow by faster than she had liked and she had rarely seen her sister after that, Even the death of their beloved mother had not been enough to bring her home for any length of time. Leona had instead found herself picking Becky up at the police station or taking her and Angela in when the abuse had forced her sister to come running. She sighed as she remembered all the times she had begged her to not go back to him and all the times she had spent wondering if this would be the night she would get the call that he had finally killed them. She shivered in the warm summer sun as she remembered the wintery night the call had finally come that had changed everything.

The wind had whipped past the door jingling the Santa wind chimes outside and had Leona snuggled closer to her husband searching for sleep. Sleep again proved elusive as the music of the old house chimed in the wintery darkness. She listened to the whispers of the house wondering where her sister Becky was, wishing the nervous tension she felt would fade. The old house groaned and wheezed under the weight of secrets it seemed to know but refused to tell, as she tossed on the cotton floral sheets. She willed her eyes to close but they remained glued to the ceiling.

“Go to sleep,” a voice grumbled from beneath mountains of blankets and quilts, “There’s nothing you can do to help her if she won’t let you.” The blankets rustled and rippled as he turned to face her, his blue eyes shining in the darkness, “you don’t even know where she is; maybe she’s fine.”

Leona’s hand raked through her hair as she sat up, further tangling the riot of blonde curls streaming down her back. The shadows of the trees danced in the wind rapping on the window in the predawn darkness. Leona shivered as the skeletal tapping sent a chill skating down her spine. She sighed and wrapped trembling arms around her knees resting her head on the quilt her mother had made her for her wedding.

” I don’t think she’s fine” she said slowly, her voice sounding tinny even to her own ears. Breathing deeply, she inhaled the perfume her mother always wore; Loves Baby Soft, which clung to the fabric even now five years later. She missed her so much sometimes. She shook her head to clear it and groaned as a throbbing headache began to blossom between her eyes.

“I just wish Becky would let me help her.” Leona whispered rubbing the bridge of her nose, sniffling as she tried to clear her head.

Jerod wrapped an arm around her pulling her close. “As long as she’s been with him he’s been like this.” “Talking to her doesn’t help, maybe she doesn’t want help,” he said quietly,” Sometimes people can’t admit there is a problem.”

“Some people are afraid to,” Leona protested as she stared at him in the darkness, “It drives me crazy not knowing where she is.”

Jerod held up his hands in a helpless gesture and squeezed her against him, wishing he knew how to fix this for her.

“I don’t know sweetheart” he soothed, quietly rubbing her arm as Leona snuggled against him. She inhaled, breathing in the comforting smell of Old Spice that clung to him. She laid her head against his chest in the darkness and scanned the room, as if she would find the answers hiding behind the old rocking chair in their room. Leona’s mind drifted to Becky and she thought about how different their lives had become. They had been the best of friends as children but somehow they had lost each other as they had grown into adulthood.

Leona listened to the wind whistling outside and shivered as chills raced up her spine. She snuggled further under the blankets trying to get warm yet she seemed unable to escape the chills inside her.

“I wish she had never met him, he never deserved her.” She said through gritted teeth as she began to pick at her light pink nails. In the muted glow from the outside security light she noticed that they were nearly picked down to the quick. Jerod covered her hand with his to stop her busy hands and gave her another squeeze.

“I guess he didn’t,” he said quietly in her ear, “but you can’t make people’s choices for them.”

“Especially not Becky” Leona smiled sadly. She shook her head as she thought about how Becky had always had that spark that had drawn everyone to her and had made her life seem easy, at least until she had found herself trapped in an abusive relationship. “I wish I could protect her somehow.”

“Sweetheart, some people won’t let you protect them.”

Leona shook her head and thought about how true that was. She had tried to warn her about Jay but as always she had refused to listen. Over the years the rift between them had grown. Leona had last heard from Becky at Halloween and now two days till Christmas she feared for her sister and nieces safety. Usually calls came every few weeks or so but almost two months of silence set her nerves on edge. Leona rubbed her eyes and watched the shadows slide across the cream wallpaper cringing at the waves of nausea sliding over her. She looked wonderingly at the shadows as they turned from the filmy gray of predawn to strobe like blue and red. Leona’s eyes flew to Jerods as she felt her heart sink.

Dread overwhelmed her as she slid off the bed and put on her bunny slippers. She flew down the stairs with Jerod behind her. She slid on the hand-woven rug on the floor but managed to reach the door just as the first knocks resounded through the house. She pulled the door open and had stared with dread into the face of the town’s deputy sheriff.
Her eyes went to the blanket wrapped bundle he held and she saw her niece’s small face peering out at her from the folds. Leona opened her arms and took Angela, opening the door wide motioning the sheriff inside.

She clutched the small body against her as the deputy told her that they had found her niece walking along the highway 40 minutes ago by herself. Leona’s throat locked up and she felt vomit pushing at the blockage as she took it all in.

“Have you found them yet?” she asked hesitantly trying to watch what she was saying for Angela’s sake. “Is there any news?”

“No luck yet,” the deputy stated sadly looking down at the brim of his hat as he ran his hands over its surface trying to avoid her eyes. Deputy Jim Thomas had gone to high school with Leona and Becky and he had always liked them both. He was just not sure how to deliver news like this. “We’ve checked the house and it’s empty,” he said gruffly looking up at last. He hesitated as he caught the penetrating blue orbs of Angela’s eyes staring at him from her cocoon on Leona’s lap before continuing,” but it looks like there’s been a struggle, we will keep looking.”

Leona felt numb as she nodded and began to rock Angela in her arms. “Was Angela able to tell you anything?” she asked quietly, her voice seeming to belong to someone else.

He cleared his throat