“What made you remember?” I asked, pushing her hair back from her wet cheeks.

“I thought you were leaving. I heard the door close. I thought you were gone.”

“I would never, never leave you in this house alone. I was just saying goodbye to Gram.”

“Mommy left us alone. After the night I got sick? I tried to stay awake every night and listen for the door. Sometimes I couldn’t. But sometimes...”

“Sometimes you did.” I was crying now, too, my tears falling against her hair.

“She went away and left us a lot.”

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart. Children should never be left alone. Your mommy was wrong to do that.”

“She told me not to tell anybody, especially Daddy.”

“Thank you for telling me anyway. That was the right thing to do, and your mommy was wrong to say otherwise.”

“She said bad people would come and take us away if I told. Will they?”

“No chance. I won’t let them. Your daddy won’t let them. Gram and Grandpa won’t let them.”

“Then why did she say that?”

I no longer knew the reason my sister did anything, but it wasn’t my job to make Holly hate her mother. Sadly, Wendy was well on the road to making that happen on her own.

I felt my way. “Sometimes people do things they shouldn’t, and then they tell lies to cover up. And sometimes when people are unhappy, they do bad things. Maybe your mommy is unhappy. It’s still very, very wrong to leave kids alone, no matter what. But it might explain it a little.”

“Can we keep living with you? Until Daddy comes back? What if Mommy comes home? Will she make us live with her? Will she take us away?”

“You don’t have to worry. If she does come home, it won’t be for a long, long time, and your daddy and I will make sure we’re the ones taking care of you, no matter what.”

“Noelle misses her. Noelle cries because she’s gone. But I don’t miss her. I hope I never see her again.”

I sniffed back more tears. I remember Noelle’s hidden stash of Wendy’s discarded objects, so lovingly assembled. “The best thing we can do is try to make your sister happy whenever we can. And you, too. Just remember I’m not going to let anything bad happen, okay? You can sleep at night and not worry. That’s a promise.”

“Can I sleep in your bed?”

“With Biz? Sure.”

“I love you, Aunt Ryan.”

There was no hope of damming tears now. I cried and held her. “I love you, too.”

Just weeks ago I’d wondered how I was going to cope with Holly and her sister. I’d only come to take care of them because Wendy had demanded it. My nieces, my sisters, gifts from the universe that Wendy had thrown away like the weekly trash.

I would fight for these children, no matter what that meant, no matter where it happened or why. If my parents tried to protect Wendy, I would still find a way to keep her from Holly and Noelle. Forever. Even if I had to take both girls and run.