Chapter 4 - THE AUNT LILA WASN’T ALLOWED TO REMEMBER
Jenna Caldwell was teaching a nursing seminar outside Pittsburgh when her phone rang.
She almost ignored it.
Then she saw the Pennsylvania number.
For eighteen months, most unknown calls had been disappointments.
Attorneys.
Bank clerks.
Voicemail systems.
People explaining why they could not help her see her niece.
This call was different.
“Ms. Caldwell?”
“Yes.”
“My name is Andrea Lopez. I’m calling from Allegheny County Child and Family Services regarding Lila Mercer.”
Jenna sat down.
“What happened?”
“She’s safe.”
Those two words nearly made Jenna stop breathing.
“Where is she?”
“At St. Catherine Children’s Hospital.”
Jenna was already gathering her purse.
“What did Nathan do?”
There was a pause.
That told her everything.
Jenna drove ninety-one miles through evening traffic.
She had not seen Lila in seventeen months.
Not since Nathan had appeared at Jenna’s apartment, taken a birthday gift from her hands, and told her never to contact them again.
Before that, Jenna had been everywhere in Lila’s life.
She had held her in the delivery room.
Bought her first rain boots.
Taught her to blow bubbles in Emily’s backyard.
During Emily’s final year, Jenna practically lived at the Mercer house.
When Emily became too weak to climb the stairs, Jenna slept on the living-room couch.
When Emily died, Jenna assumed grief would hold the family together.
Instead, Nathan shut every door.
He stopped answering calls.
He changed Lila’s preschool.
Then his phone number.
Then his address.
Jenna eventually located them through probate records.
Nathan accused her of harassing him.
He told mutual friends Jenna wanted control of Emily’s money.
Worst of all, he told Lila something Jenna would not learn until much later.
Aunt Jenna didn’t want to see you anymore.
At the hospital, Jenna stopped outside Lila’s room.
Through the glass panel she saw a tiny blonde child sitting upright beneath a white blanket.
Older.
Thinner.
A loose hospital shirt hung around her shoulders.
Jenna’s hand went to her mouth.
Lila looked toward the door.
For several seconds, neither moved.
Then Lila’s forehead wrinkled.
“Aunt Jen?”
Jenna entered slowly.
“Hi, bug.”
It had been Emily’s nickname for her.
Lila started crying.
Not loudly.
She simply held out both arms.
Jenna crossed the room.
When she wrapped herself around Lila, the child whispered into her shoulder.
“Daddy said you hated us.”
Jenna shut her eyes.
“No.”
“He said you tried to take Mommy’s money.”
“No, sweetheart.”
“He said you wanted me because you wanted the house.”
Jenna felt Lila’s fingers clutch the back of her shirt.
“I wanted you because you’re my niece.”
Lila pulled away enough to look at her.
“Then why didn’t you come?”
It was the question Jenna had imagined for seventeen months.
Every answer sounded like an excuse.
“I did.”
Lila blinked.
“I came lots of times.”
“No.”
“I called. I sent things. I went to court. I went to your old school.”
Lila stared.
“Dad said nobody came.”
May you like
Jenna looked at the little girl.
And understood that whatever Nathan had stolen from the trust was not the worst thing he had taken.
