Chapters (29)
Inside Amber was tucked into the bed, Elise having somehow arranged the sheets and the blanket to make it appear almost hospitable. She was curled up tight like a ball. She had her thumb in her mouth. Seeing her looking like this … it sideswiped me. Klara went over to the bed and took her free hand and spoke with her quietly for a few minutes. At one point, Amber pulled her closer, sat up and allowed herself to be rocked back and forth.
‘Amber, I didn’t want to hit you,’ Klara told her. ‘It was the last thing I wanted to do. But you could have killed one of us. Let us get you through this, find a way for you to start a new life …’
‘But he will come find me …’ Amber said.
‘You’re safe now. We will work out a way for you to have a new identity. We’ll make sure he cannot find you. Rest now. We’ll have dinner soon.’
She lowered Amber back onto the pillow. Immediately her right thumb returned to her mouth, her eyes wide in fear and exhaustion and confusion. Meanwhile in the kitchen Elise was frying up onions and garlic and a bunch of now-chopped vegetables, adding to the frying pan chili powder and a can of beans and one of the tomatoes.
‘The beer’s in the refrigerator,’ she said. ‘Help yourself … and if someone could open one for me …’
I went over and pulled out three bottles of Corona, twisting off the caps. I handed one to Elise and one to Klara. We didn’t bother raising them and toasting ourselves. We just drank. The beer was cold and very needed. Klara fell into the caved-in armchair, pulled on her beer, then put her head in her hands and exhaled loudly. I came over, sitting on the arm of the chair, expecting it to collapse thanks to my big gut. It somehow held together. I put a hand on my daughter’s shoulder. I squeezed it and said:
‘That is behind us.’
To which Elise, stirring the chili, replied:
‘She’s calm now. She’ll be a lot better after a night’s sleep. But things are not going to go the way I thought they would.’
‘What do you mean?’ Klara asked.
Elise said:
‘She’s keeping the baby.’
