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Back The Mother Next Door
Chapters (84)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. Dedication
  4. About the Author
  5. HALLOWEEN
  6. Seven Weeks Before Halloween
  7. ONE
  8. TWO
  9. THREE
  10. HALLOWEEN
  11. Six Weeks Before Halloween
  12. FOUR
  13. FIVE
  14. SIX
  15. HALLOWEEN
  16. Five Weeks Before Halloween
  17. SEVEN
  18. EIGHT
  19. HALLOWEEN
  20. NINE
  21. TEN
  22. HALLOWEEN
  23. ELEVEN
  24. TWELVE
  25. Twenty-Five Days Until Halloween
  26. THIRTEEN
  27. FOURTEEN
  28. HALLOWEEN
  29. FIFTEEN
  30. SIXTEEN
  31. SEVENTEEN
  32. EIGHTEEN
  33. NINETEEN
  34. TWENTY
  35. HALLOWEEN
  36. Eighteen Days Until Halloween
  37. TWENTY-ONE
  38. TWENTY-TWO
  39. HALLOWEEN
  40. TWENTY-THREE
  41. TWENTY-FOUR
  42. Eleven Days Until Halloween
  43. TWENTY-FIVE
  44. TWENTY-SIX
  45. Eight Days Until Halloween
  46. TWENTY-SEVEN
  47. TWENTY-EIGHT
  48. TWENTY-NINE
  49. HALLOWEEN
  50. THIRTY
  51. Four Days Until Halloween
  52. THIRTY-ONE
  53. HALLOWEEN
  54. THIRTY-TWO
  55. Two Days Until Halloween
  56. THIRTY-THREE
  57. The Night Before Halloween
  58. THIRTY-FOUR
  59. HALLOWEEN
  60. THIRTY-FIVE
  61. Halloween, Present Day
  62. THIRTY-SIX
  63. THIRTY-SEVEN
  64. HALLOWEEN
  65. THIRTY-EIGHT
  66. HALLOWEEN
  67. THIRTY-NINE
  68. HALLOWEEN
  69. FORTY
  70. HALLOWEEN
  71. FORTY-ONE
  72. FORTY-TWO
  73. FORTY-THREE
  74. FORTY-FOUR
  75. HALLOWEEN... NOW
  76. FORTY-FIVE
  77. Seven Months Later
  78. FORTY-SIX
  79. FORTY-SEVEN
  80. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  81. ALICE SWANSON’S
  82. Reader's Guide
  83. Questions for Discussion
  84. Booklist

“Memories? Feels like an entirely different planet.”

“Ah, yes. The new president’s been very aggressive about building. Problem is, it’s all for the sciences and business. Us lowly humanities people don’t matter.”

There was something about being on a college campus that evoked opportunity. The students around us all seemed so hopeful, so young and earnest. It made me feel ancient, a foreign body. I’d once been one of these kids, hopeful but naive. Making bad choices, even as I had the hubris to think it would all work out and not come back to bite me.

And now it had.

Someone knew everything. And they were threatening to tell Lily. I’d been stupid to think I could keep it a secret. Stupid to think I could come back here with no consequences.

“Theresa?”

“Sorry,” I said as Greg led me on a shortcut through the atrium of a building.

“What’s going on? You seem like you’re about to burst.”

I let his question hang in the air between us. How to even begin?

“‘The past is never dead. It’s not even past.’” I hadn’t realized I’d said it out loud until Greg glanced over at me.

“William Faulkner? Now I know something’s wrong. You always hated him.”

“And you always loved him,” I said. “I guess that quote stuck with me.” I never quoted literature. Was Greg’s influence starting to creep back on me after all this time? The idea made me uncomfortable.

He stopped. “Come on, now. You navigated this place, found me, for a reason.”

The campus had quieted down. The time between classes had ended, everyone filing into their respective places.

“It’s about Lily,” I said. “Someone knows about her, Greg.”

He took one look at me and nodded. “We should probably find somewhere to sit.” He ushered me to an alcove with a small private table. “They won’t be surprised if I’m late to my meeting.”

“Greg, I’m worried that Lily and Adam are going to find out...” I couldn’t say the words aloud, even to him.

“Jeez, Theresa. You make it sound like it’s some dirty secret. There are a lot of people who are adopted, you know.”

“I know. I just thought—I wanted her to feel loved, to feel complete. I didn’t want her to think she was unwanted or anything.”

“Why would she think that? You’re a great mom. You’re great at everything you do.” He reached across the table and touched my shoulder, then let it drop.