Unwed 💍

Chapter Twenty-Eight: I'll Walk Alone

Izzy's feet dug into the sand, kicking it up in a spray behind her. The wind hit her face, grabbing tears from the corner of her eyes and spreading them across her cheeks. Mara and Sister Mary Helen turned as she raced down the beach towards them.

"What is it?" Sister Mary Helen called, "have you found her?"

"We have to call the police!" Izzy's voice came out in jolts. The baby was hitting her bottom area with every stride, but she ignored the pain.

The nun put her hand to her brow, squinting at her. "What? What for?"

Izzy didn't answer. Following Sister Mary Thomas' orders, she turned down the path towards the home before the two could catch up with her.

She'd almost hit the woods before she heard Mara behind her.

"Slow down Izzy," she called."You're too far along to be running like that."

Izzy couldn't help but run. Her heart was nearly bursting with with a mix of joy and terror. Mara's plan was brilliant. The nuns were on the beach panicking behind her. They were convinced Dottie had gone out into the lake.

"Izzy." Mara slowed to a jog beside her. "Slow down before you trip over something and send yourself into labor.That's all we need right now."

Izzy cast a look behind them. On the beach, Sister Mary Helen rushed over towards Sister Mary Thomas.

"I can't help it," she giggled, almost hysterically. "It worked. I can't believe it. It really worked. They think she's drowned. They won't look any further now. Dottie's safe."

Mara gave her a stern look. "It's not over yet. Now wipe that grin off your face before someone sees it."

They rushed through the woods towards the home. It was only when they hit the clearing and the dark, stone building came into view, that the enormity of the situation hit Izzy. This was no game. This was real. A whirl of adrenaline and fear closed in on her.

Her throat grew tight as they neared the looming home. Surely what they were doing was criminal. What would her parents say if she was caught? Or thrown in jail, for that matter? Her ears pounded simultaneously with the beat of her heart. She'd never told a lie this big in her entire life. She slowed, placing her hand to rest on the ragged bark of one of the last trees before the open yard.

Mara paused, eying her. "What is it? Are you alright?"

"I'm winded," said Izzy, feeling dizzy. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to set the world straight.

Mara's hand grasped her arm firmly. "Take a deep breath," she instructed, a worried look in her eyes.

Izzy sucked in the cool, pine scented air, her eyelids closing again. She pressed her lips together firmly, straightening. "It's okay. I'm fine, let's go."

They didn't have to look far for Sister Martha, she met them at the door. Her thick eyebrows raised as she studied the two of them. As they came closer, she stretched her arm across the entrance, blocking the doorway.

"Sister Mary Thomas told me to tell you to phone the police," Izzy blurted, her breath coming in spurts. "They think that Dottie has gone into the lake."

"Is that so?" the nun frowned, shooting Mara a questioning look.

"Yes," said Izzy, confused by the nun's reaction. "Yes it is. There's no time to delay. It's an emergency! She may have drowned or..."

The nun huffed and crossed her arms. Her eyes narrowing on Izzy. "Drowned? Well now, that would be convenient, wouldn't it? It was you who quickly suggested she may be at the beach, was it not? That was quite intuitive."