Chapters (97)
- Cover
- Back Cover Text
- Praise
- Booklist
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- Forty-Seven
- Forty-Eight
- Forty-Nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-One
- Fifty-Two
- Fifty-Three
- Fifty-Four
- Fifty-Five
- Fifty-Six
- Fifty-Seven
- Fifty-Eight
- Fifty-Nine
- Sixty
- Sixty-One
- Sixty-Two
- Sixty-Three
- Sixty-Four
- Sixty-Five
- Sixty-Six
- Sixty-Seven
- Sixty-Eight
- Sixty-Nine
- Seventy
- Seventy-One
- Seventy-Two
- Seventy-Three
- Seventy-Four
- Seventy-Five
- Seventy-Six
- Seventy-Seven
- Seventy-Eight
- Seventy-Nine
- Eighty
- Eighty-One
- Eighty-Two
- Eighty-Three
- Eighty-Four
- Eighty-Five
- Eighty-Six
- Eighty-Seven
- Eighty-Eight
- Eighty-Nine
- Acknowledgments & A Personal Note
- Excerpt
“I see,” Doctor Hirsch said over the line as Ben updated her on Kayla during their scheduled call.
Ben was home alone in his office. He’d shut the door, put Hirsch on speaker and related Kayla’s recent history.
“Interesting,” Hirsch said as Ben concluded. “It appears Kayla is going through some prolonged grief.”
“Prolonged grief?”
“Yes, and entwined in her grief is loyalty to her mother and the subconscious fear that if she should accept and love Emma, her stepmother, it would be a betrayal to her mother.”
“Really?”
“That’s what appears to be happening. You see, Ben, in these cases the only way for a stepchild and stepmom to have a healthy relationship is for the biological mother to encourage it, in essence to release the child from their singular loyalty.”
“Right.”
“But in Kayla’s case, that permission or encouragement cannot be given for obvious reasons. Kayla reinforces her loyalty to her mom with her rejection of Emma, and it’s manifested with her ‘suspicions’ that she’s an imposter, making her an unacceptable replacement. That’s Kayla’s way of coping and it’s also her challenge.”
“That seems to fit. It might also explain Kayla’s acting out.”
“That would also be part of it, certainly. And the more Emma is loving and warm toward Kayla, the more conflicted Kayla becomes because her natural inclination to reciprocate is bound to her loyalty to her mother.”
“That makes sense.”
“Kayla had done well before our sessions ended a while ago.”
“Yes, this new stuff seems to have surfaced after Emma came into our lives.”
“All right, then if Kayla’s agreeable to come back and see me, we can set up an appointment schedule.”
“She may be reluctant. I’ll have to talk to Kayla, and Emma, too. Let me first give it some thought.”
“Take your time, Ben.”
The call ended and Tug came into the office, putting his head on Ben’s lap.
“Why don’t you go through your door outside to the back?” Ben knew Tug was bothered by the chlorine and wouldn’t go in the pool but he liked to trot around it. “Go out and get some exercise.”
Ben patted Tug as he tried to process Hirsch’s unofficial assessment of Kayla. A moment later his computer pinged.
Need to talk. Stand by. I’ll call you soon.
That was all Roz Rose said in her email.
Twenty-Six
Cielo Valle, Orange County, California
Present day
After reading Roz Rose’s email, Ben continued studying the confidential files he had acquired on the Swedish case with growing interest.
He’d started work on them prior to his call with Doctor Hirsch.