In Her Shadow (29 page)
Authors: August McLaughlin
Hank’s smile fades. “I did. I’m so sorry.”
Her throat tightens. “You know what’s odd? When we were out there in the cabin, I kept thinking there’s no way Grandma can live with all of this. She never got over losing Mom...then to learn about Malcolm?”
Claire shudders at the thought. “At least she went peacefully... The police said there was no sign of struggle. She died in her sleep.”
“Do you think Malcolm—?”
Claire shakes her head. “I don’t know. I’m not sure when he could have.” She pauses. “You know what else I kept thinking out there? How I shouldn’t let fear keep me from happiness. Jill taught me that. And how much I love you, Hank Matheson. I should have told you sooner.”
Hank half-laughs.
“Oh, that’s funny?” she asks.
“You’re not just saying that because I took a bullet for you, are you?”
“No, but now that you mention it...thanks.” Claire grins, her face lighting up for the first time in what feels like years.
“I love you too, Claire. When I thought I’d lost you...” A single tear spills down his cheek. “I can’t even go there.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I do have one request...”
“Anything.”
“Let’s not go to such extremes to realize these things in the future. Not sure my body can take it.”
“Deal.” Grinning again, she kisses him.
Once he starts dozing off, she heads back to check on her
other
other half.
Chapter Seventy-Four
Back in Jill’s hospital room, Claire sits at her bedside, overwhelmed by a sensation of
completeness
—she cannot think of it in any other way. Though she’s lost all four members of the family she grew up with and will no doubt grieve for some time, she’s gained more than she could ever imagine in Jill. She feels all of them with her now, Jill, Elle, Hank...even Mom, Grandpa, Grandma and William—her
true
dad—seem present. Noticing similar goose bumps on each other’s skin, the twins exchange smiles.
Claire’s cell phone buzzes—a text from Hank:
Check your email.
What is he up to? She clicks on the inbox on her phone to find a message from Hank, sent the previous day. Judging from the time stamp, he must have sent it after he’d been shot, while he was trapped in the basement.
Dear Claire, I don’t know what’s going to happen, or what already has. But I do know one thing. I love you. I should have told you sooner...
Claire’s words to Hank when she stopped by his room, almost verbatim. She marvels again at how blessed she feels during a time of incredible loss. She and Jill will endure tough patches—probably many, in the coming days. But together, they’ll get through.
When the nurse orders everyone out, Claire remains for a minute. “You doing okay?” she asks.
“I think so. It’s weird. You’d think I’d be in shock over all of this, but it feels...”
“Almost normal?” Claire says.
Jill nods.
“I feel the same way.”
Jill looks at Claire, her chin trembling. Then she bursts into tears.
Claire moves closer, clutches her hand. “What is it? What’s wrong? Are you in pain?”
“No! I’m just....happy. I finally know why I never gave up. The reason is...so much better than I imagined.” She wipes her tears with a tissue. “Thank you for being so nice to me.”
“
Nice
to you? Jill, you have no idea what you mean to me, do you?” Tears spilling down her cheeks, she holds both of Jill’s hands. “We are family now. No. We’ve always
been
family. The rest of our lives starts right here and now, okay? And I will always be here for you. No matter what.”
Jill touches Claire’s cheek with her hand, smiling. “I love you, Claire.”
“I love you, too, sis. For always.”
Claire hoists herself up onto the bed beside Jill and rests her head on the pillow. As they drift to sleep, unafraid of nightmares, their breath synchronized, Claire feels their mother’s arms wrapped around them.
Love you too, Mom
.
“Me too, Claire. I feel her too...”
The Beginning
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