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Back Where I Left Her Save as PDF
Chapters (47)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. About the Author
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  47. Booklist

And I like to think that I was all those things.

But I know there was one thing Millie was counting on when she asked me to raise you. Millie always wished she’d been raised by two parents. Living with a single mom had been hard for her. I know that wasn’t the life she’d wanted for you.

And it’s one thing I’ve always felt bad about. That I couldn’t make things work with Dan. That I couldn’t give you a home with two parents.

40

SUNDAY, 8:30 A.M.
THIRTY-NINE AND A HALF
HOURS AFTER DROP-OFF

WHITNEY’S SUDDEN RECOLLECTION of her mother’s last words seemed a tad convenient. Also, out of character. The Millie that Whitney remembered may have been melodramatic. Maudlin. A person who would say things like, I’ll never be free from Mitch. Not until the day I die. But the mom Lauren knew didn’t say things like that. She was strong. Practical.

Not only that, but Lauren’s last conversation with her mom negated the so-called statement. Made it impossible.

The three of them sat cross-legged in the grass, facing one another, a tiny huddle. A lawnmower kicked on in the distance. All around them, people had left for work, racing out to their cars, coffees in hand, zipping out of their driveways and down the street. Probably thought the three of them were holding some sort of séance.

Lauren was tired of listening to Whitney’s lies. She was ready to go. Amelia’s expression worried her. It was obvious that Whitney had her—hook, line and sinker. She had to figure out what to say. Reel her back in. Not that she’d ever really had her. She’d only been able to convince her to go on this trip by appealing to her taste for freedom, her sense of adventure. It was clear that Amelia never truly bought Lauren’s story about her mom. But there was no way Lauren was giving up. Once she could get Amelia out of her mom’s clutches, she was certain she could convince her. Make her see reason. Her entire life she’d been on the sidelines, watching someone else live their life with their own family.

The only living relative she even knew of was her dad. And he’d been in prison since the year after her mom died. He’d been caught trafficking drugs through his job as a delivery driver. Someone had called in an anonymous tip, and he’d been in prison ever since. He was supposed to get out once, years ago, but then he stabbed some guy in prison—he’d never been able to control his temper—and had to serve another sentence.