Victoria sat on the stairs. Her gaze flicked between the front door and the phone she clutched in her hands. It had been an hour since Holly and Hugo had left, and there had been no word.
Her chest felt tight, and her breathing was shallow. She could only imagine the state she must look, feeble and broken.
She couldn’t help the bitter laugh that escaped her and rattled around the empty hallway. How the mighty have fallen, she thought. Just a few hours ago I was on top of the world, running my empire. Now I have lost my youngest child.
She stared at her phone again, fearful that she would somehow miss an important call or message. She’d called the police and informed them of the situation. While an official report couldn’t be created, she had the commissioner’s reassurance that word would be circulated to relevant officers on patrol in their neighbourhood.
The realisation that she had no idea where Alexia would go or what she would do was terrifying. Did she really know so little about her only daughter? Alexia had complained that her mother worked too hard. She’d often referred to Arrival as her older sister, and occasionally, Victoria’s favourite child.
Of course, Victoria had done everything she could to quash that. But now she wondered if maybe there was a grain of truth in it. Did she rank work over family? If only for the reason that work would kick, scream, and fall apart if she were absent, whereas family would do their best to forgive her.
If Alexia came home, things would change. They would have to.
Every award and accolade meant nothing if she would ever have to experience another second of this sheer terror.
The doorbell rang.
She nearly tripped over herself in her hurry to get to the door. The lock stuck for a moment, but she eventually yanked the door open. Two police officers stood on the doorstep, Alexia in between them.
She looked furious but healthy.
“Miss Hastings,” the female officer greeted. “We found your daughter in the park.”
Victoria felt her eyebrows raise. The very idea of Alexia alone in Central Park at night made her legs wobble.
Alexia rushed past her and into the house, not giving her mother a second glance.
Victoria watched her climb the stairs before dragging her eyes back to the officers.
“Thank you so much.”
“We’re just doing our job. Have a good evening, ma’am.”
Before she had a chance to form a sentence, they were on their way again. She closed the front door and leaned on it as she took a deep, shaky breath.
She fired off a quick text message to Hugo and Holly to let them know that Alexia was safely home.
“Alexia?” she called as she climbed the stairs.
“Go away,” the muffled response indicated that Alexia was in her room.
Victoria made quick work of the stairs and stood outside the closed bedroom door. She wanted to shove the door to one side and hold Alexia tightly, but she knew her presence wasn’t welcome yet.
She knocked on the door. “Darling? Please can we talk?”
“No.” She sounded like she was crying.
Victoria wasn’t about to stand by and listen to the sound of tears.
“I’m coming in,” she announced. She grabbed the door handle and entered the room.
Alexia was curled up on her bed, her back to the room. She hugged her favourite teddy bear to her chest.
A sudden shiver ran down Victoria’s spine at what might have happened. She wondered if she’d ever get over the panic.
She sat on the edge of the bed and placed her hand on Alexia’s hip.
“I don’t want Holly to go,” Alexia mumbled.
“I don’t either,” Victoria confessed.
“Then tell her she has to stay, she’ll listen to you.”
“She won’t, darling. She has to live her own life, and I’m not her boss anymore.”
Alexia turned over. Her eyes were red and her cheeks puffy.
“I don’t want her to go,” she repeated. “I hate it without her. I’m so l-lonely. I hate being here.”
Victoria heard a gasp escape her mouth. She had no idea that Alexia was so unhappy at home. There was a possibility that Alexia was being dramatic, but for some reason she didn’t think that was the case. If Alexia had wanted to pull on her mother’s heartstrings in the past, then this would surely have been brought up. But this was the first she was hearing of it, and that made it more real.
She knew that Holly spent a lot of time with her daughter and had seen that Alexia enjoyed that. But the possibility that Alexia was lonely had never even occurred to her. It made sense. Alexia’s brother rarely spent time with her, Victoria was rarely home and certainly unable to spend time with her when she was.
She kicked off her shoes and lay down beside her daughter, pulling her into a hug.
“I’m so sorry, darling. I didn’t know. We’ll… we’ll change things. It will be better, I promise.”
Alexia wrapped her arms around her and burrowed her face into her chest.
“But I want Holly here. You have to work and Hugo doesn’t want to play with me.”
“I’ll work less,” Victoria promised. She was already mentally moving her schedule around. Work was important but nearly losing her daughter had quickly reversed her priorities. “You must never run away again. Ever. I was so scared, anything could have happened to you.”
“I’m sorry; I didn’t think and then I didn’t know what to do because I thought you’d be mad.”
“Oh, darling, I’m only mad at myself.”
Alexia sniffled and sat up. She fixed Victoria with a determined look.
“Are you sure we can’t make Holly stay?”
Victoria sat up, too. She took Alexia’s hands in hers.
“I’m sorry, no. We have to let Holly live her life. If she wants to leave, then she must be allowed to leave.”
“But she doesn’t want to leave, she’s just sad.”
Victoria dried Alexia’s tearstained cheeks with her thumbs.
“What makes you say that, darling?”
“She just is. She told me she can’t stay here forever because she’s not one of us. I told her that she was, but she didn’t believe me. She said she had to go. I don’t understand.”
Victoria didn’t truly understand either. The comment made no sense. She’d assumed that Holly’s journals, and maybe some recollected memories, had nudged her to realise that she was living under the same roof as the devil. Under those circumstances, she couldn’t blame the girl for wanting to leave.
“Where is Holly?” Alexia sniffled.
“Out looking for you, with Hugo. We were all very worried.”
Alexia blushed. “I’m sorry.”
“Just promise me you won’t do it again,” Victoria said. “If you’re upset then come to me or go to your room, but never leave the house like that again.”
“I promise.” Alexia kneeled on the bed and leaned in for another big hug.
Victoria ignored the awkward position and held her daughter as tight as she could. She still hadn’t recovered from the shock of almost losing this little girl.
She heard the front door slamming closed and voices calling out, but neither mother nor daughter wanted to let go of each other and call back.
It was only a few moments before Victoria could hear Holly and Hugo rushing up the stairs.
Holly was first into the room and threw her arms around both Alexia and Victoria.
“Are you okay?” Holly asked frantically.
“I’m okay, I’m sorry,” Alexia replied.
“No need to be sorry, just be safe,” Holly instructed.
She pulled away from the hug and looked at Victoria seriously. “Are you okay?”
Victoria hadn’t expected to be asked and slowly nodded her head.
“Don’t do that again, brat,” Hugo said. The relief was clear on his face despite his disinterested tone.
“I won’t,” Alexia replied, smiling at her brother’s small display of worry.
Victoria watched him leave the bedroom and then realised that Holly’s eyes were still on her, still concerned.
“I’m fine,” she promised softly.
“Holly, do you really have to go?” Alexia said.
“Alexia,” Victoria warned.
“It’s okay,” Holly said. “I do, I’m sorry, but I do.”
“Can you visit me?” Alexia begged in her best whining tone.
“Um.” Holly looked blankly at Victoria.
“Of course you can,” Victoria replied. She’d invited Holly into her home and was surprised the girl thought she would be banished so easily. “We’d welcome it. In fact, we’d be very angry if you didn’t come and visit. All of us.”
Holly looked at her curiously before a smile spread across her face. She turned to face Alexia. “Looks like I’ll be visiting you very soon, I wouldn’t want your mom to be angry.” She winked.
It was sometime later when Victoria had finally managed to put Alexia to bed. She was in her study nursing a glass of red wine. She’d already emailed the office to advise them that an emergency would see her arriving in the office late and leaving early. It was unprecedented, but it would be the first of many changes.
“Can I come in?”
She saw Holly standing by the door and nodded. The girl walked into the study and sat on the sofa.
“How’s Alexia?” Holly asked.
“It took a while for her to get to sleep, but she seems to be okay. I don’t think I’ll be sleeping tonight.”
“Me neither. That was scary stuff,” Holly admitted. “I’m sorry. I know it was my fault.”
“On the contrary, it was mine,” Victoria said. “While she was upset that you were leaving, it just went to highlight that she was devastated at the thought of things going back to the way they were before you arrived. She said she felt lonely before.”
Victoria walked over to the desk where the half empty bottle of red sat. She poured herself another glass and gestured with it towards Holly. Holly shook her head.
“I can’t blame her,” Victoria continued. “I’m rarely home, and when I am, I’m consumed with work. Hugo tries to entertain her, but he’s a teenage boy with his own life to live. I just hadn’t realised how hard it has been for Alexia. I should be thanking you for highlighting the issue.”
“I’m still sorry. I triggered her reaction, she ran out of the house and anything could have happened.” Holly worried her lip.
Victoria sipped some wine. She stared at the bookcase and considered it was time to reorganise her collection. Anything to take her mind off the subject of what might have happened to Alexia if the police hadn’t managed to find her.
“So,” Victoria said, “you’re leaving us?”
Holly sat up a little straighter. “Yes. I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me, but I need to start fending for myself. I have some money in my savings account and I am able to work, so it makes sense for me to start to rebuild my life.”
“I see. And when will this be happening? Where will you go?”
“Tomorrow,” Holly said.
Victoria felt her pulse start to race. So soon?
“I’ve found a house in Weehawken with a room for rent. There’s six of us, so I won’t get lonely. I’ve met them and they all seem really nice. All girls. Well, one guy, but he’s engaged to the girl who placed the ad online. He is hardly—“
“And a job?” Victoria asked to cut off the rambling.
“A part-time receptionist job, next door to the clinic where I’m having my physiotherapy. So that works out really well.”
“Hm.” Victoria turned to look at the framed copies of Arrival that lined the wall behind her desk. They were the issues that had broken sales records, the ones where she had pushed boundaries and been rewarded handsomely. Suddenly they didn’t mean so much to her.
“Are you sure you won’t consider… staying?” Victoria asked, refusing to make eye contact as she did.
“I… think it’s best if I go,” Holly said.
She remembers, Victoria thought. Or she’s read enough of those damned journals to know everything that I ever said to her.
“I see,” she said. “The children will miss you, and I meant what I said; please come and visit us.”
“I will,” Holly promised.
“And soon,” Victoria added for good measure. She kept her back to Holly, unwilling to turn around and meet her eyes.
“I will, once I’ve settled in. I don’t have much stuff, so it won’t be long.” Holly chuckled softly.
Victoria remained silent. She stared at the framed issues.
“I should go to bed. I hope you manage to get some sleep,” Holly said, clearly unable to stay in the stifling atmosphere any longer.
“Good night,” Victoria offered, without turning.
She heard Holly leave the room and let out a deep sigh.
Holly was leaving. Sure, she’d visit once or twice to ensure that Alexia was well. But that would soon fade to nothing. After all this, Holly would vanish from her life once again. This time for good.
Victoria swigged some more wine.
It was inevitable, really. How could they ever have a friendship after all that had happened between them?
Maybe this was one of those times where the lesson would be learnt, but too late to make a difference.
She looked at the books that lined her shelves. Tonight would bring no sleep, so she might as well curl up with some good company.