RESOLUTION [BOOK II] | JENLISA

THIRTY-ONE

JENNIE

***

SIX DAYS LATER

“You need sunscreen,” I shouted across the beach at the boys as they ignored me, continuing to splash in the ocean water without a care in the world.

Maisy looked over at me from where she lay on a towel, book in her hand. “Ooh, Mom, look! The chocolate-covered banana stand just opened. Want to get one?” She pointed down the beach with glee, and I shielded my eyes from the sun, trying to see what she was talking about.

Spying it, I grinned at her. Normally, I might’ve said no. That she might spoil her dinner. Or I might’ve turned one down for myself. Now though, nothing could bring me down.

“Race ya,” I teased, sticking out my tongue as I scrambled to my feet. We darted across the blazing hot sand as fast as our legs would carry us. When we reached the stand, both panting and exhausted, we were laughing too hard to catch our breath enough to order.

I held up two fingers to the teen behind the counter and passed over a ten-dollar bill.

“You win,” I said, when I’d finally caught my breath, though it had been close to a tie.
“Legs of a dancer,” she teased.

He handed us our snacks and we made our way back to the spot we’d claimed earlier that day.

As we walked, Maisy grinned at me.

I bumped her hip with mine. “You look happy.”

“I am,” she confirmed.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I’m so glad we came. I’ve missed this place.”

“Me too.” I licked a bit of chocolate from my fingertip. “We’re going to have to start coming back more often.”

“You mean it?” Her eyes lit up, sending a wave of joy crashing into my chest.

“Mhm. If you guys want to.”

“Always.”

“It’s a deal, then. Family trips to the beach way more often.” We flopped down onto the towels.

“Speaking of, when is Mama supposed to be coming?”

My joy evaporated. I hadn’t gotten over the sting of guilt every time they asked about her, but I had my answers and expressions prepared. I smiled. “She’ll be here tomorrow or the next day. Just as soon as she can get away from her new project. But hey, we’re having fun here, just the four of us, aren’t we?”

She nodded, picking up her book again. “Yeah. Maybe we should just move here.”

I let the thought wash over me. “You know, maybe we will.”

She stared at me as if I’d spoken a new language. “Seriously?”

“Would you like that?”

“Uh, yeah!”

“Alright, I’ll talk to your dad.”

Her jaw hung open. “Are you joking? Just like that?”

“Sure,” I said. “No promises, but I think it’s time for a new chapter, don’t you?”

“What’s changed about you?” she asked, narrowing her eyes at me.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re so different lately.”

“Good different, I hope?”

“Very good.” She eyed her book, the latest in a long line of horror stories I’d picked up for her at the bookstore yesterday. “Unless you’ve been replaced by a cyborg.”

“Worse. An alien, and I’ve come to bring you back to my home planet.” I lunged for her, tickling her as she rolled away from me, falling into a fit of giggles.

“Mom, stop!” she cried, laughing so hard it brought tears to her eyes. There was sand all over our food when we were done, but I didn’t care. Nothing could ruin my mood.

Nothing could take the sunshine out of the trip.

Noticing the fun we were having, the boys jogged up the beach and toward us.

“Oh, nice!” Dylan said, spying our food. “I want one.”

Riley licked his lips. “Me too.”

“Get two more for us, would you?” I pulled cash from my pocket. “These are ruined.”

“Come with me?” Dylan asked, and Riley tagged along happily.

Things were really good now.

I didn’t know why I hadn’t seen that possibility before.

I’d made horrible choices, ones I’d have to live with forever.

But as long as I had my kids, I could live with whatever came my way. Of that, more than anything else, I was sure.

In my pocket, my phone buzzed.

I pulled it out, staring at a text message on the screen. A lump formed in my chest.

No.

“Who is it?” Maisy asked, spying my hesitation.

I flashed her a smile and opened the text, staring at a picture I couldn’t quite make out. I zoomed in closer.

It was a blueprint, from what I could tell, but I was only looking at a small section of it. Something that had been circled.

Underneath it, a scrawled note made the hairs on my arms stand on end.

“What is it?” Maisy asked again, more forcefully this time. “You okay?”

I was no longer listening to her, instead focusing all my energy on the message written in handwriting I would’ve recognized anywhere.

Finally, I understood what I was staring at. She’d circled a space along the wall in the hidden room that read Emergency Exit (Hidden).

I stopped breathing, a chill sweeping through me. I read over his message twice.

No.

No.

No.

No.

NoNoNoNoNoNoNo.

It wasn’t possible. It wasn’t.

And yet it was real.

Her message was simple, yet abundantly clear.

I’d lost.

The plan had failed.

I read it once more, feeling as if I were going to be sick.

Sorry, honey.
We’re in this together, remember?
After all, rules are rules.
Guess I had just one more secret.
How’s that for full circle?

To be continued