Seven Clues Trilogy: Reflection

Chapter 1: 1996

  "Lillie! Lillie, did you clean up your room yet?"

 Amara Dekker raced around the kitchen, cleaning up the mess made from lunch earlier that day. Her youngest daughter, seven-year-old Lillie, was tasked with cleaning her room after their mid-day meal, but she wasn't hearing any sign of progress. Something she should've expected from her.

 "I'm...working on it!" Was the young girl's hesitant response.

 Amara sighed and glanced over at her eldest daughter, eight-year-old Victoria who was busy reading one of her newest books. "Did you clean up your side of the room?" She asked, leaning against the island where Victoria was seated.

 Victoria nodded, licked the tip of her finger, and flipped the page. "Mom, why do I gotta share a room with Lillie?" She asked slipping her finger in the middle of the book and closing it.

 Amara cocked a brow. "Because, you two are sisters and not far apart in age. It's good for you two to bond like this."

 Victoria rolled her eyes and guffawed. "I don't see Tom sharing a room with us. Is he more special than us? Why does he get his own room?"

 "Victoria Cassidy, we've talked about this. Your daddy and I love you all equally. If I hear you making accusations again I won't be so nice." Amara warned, reaching out and placing her hand on top of Victoria's wrist.

 Victoria shrugged her hand away and pushed her book aside. "It's still not fair! Tom doesn't even stay in his room 'cause he's too much of a baby! He stays in yours and Daddy's bed more than his own." She whined, crossing her arms tight against her chest.

 "Well, you're more than welcome to join us when you have a bad dream, Victoria." Amara encouraged, busying herself with the heaping pile of papers that were her children's homework assignments.

 Victoria scoffed and looked at her mother like she just told her the sky was purple. "That's for babies! I can take care of myself and stupid nightmares."

 Amara opened her mouth to speak, but a knock at the door held her tongue for her before she could say anything. She waved her daughter and her self-assured proclamations away and went to answer the door.

 Opening the door, she was surprised to find an elderly, fragile-looking lady waiting for her, propping herself up with her cane.

 Amara's eyes were as big as saucers as she immediately came to her side and laced her arm through hers. "Maggie! What are you doing out here? How'd you get here all by yourself?" She interrogated as she helped Maggie inside all the way to the loveseat in the living room.

 Maggie chuckled weakly and patted Amara's hand. "Oh, sweetheart, I may be a little on the old side, but that doesn't make me an invalid."

 "Hmph, a little." Victoria muttered disrespectfully under her breath.

 Amara glared down at her daughter before helping Maggie get seated comfortably. "You're not supposed to be walking around town all by yourself. What if you fell or got hurt? Who would've helped you then?"

 Maggie sunk into the loveseat cushions and looked up at the much younger woman. "It's not like I walk around in the alleys, Mara. There were plenty of people around if something happened." She replied in her honey-sweet, shaky voice.

 Amara gave up and took a seat on the couch opposite Maggie. "Anyway, what brings you here Maggie? If I had known you were visiting I would've made us some of that tea you gave me at the party last week." She asked invitingly, crossing her legs and straightening her worn-out sundress. "I would've dressed in some actual clothes, too." She joked, resting her folded hands at her knees to hide her embarrassment.