Emma's Secret: A Novel Read Online Free PDF

rarely spoke and found solace with her dog instead of her family.
    Emma’s door was slightly ajar, and she sat on the floor, her back against her bed and her feet propped up against the far wall. Daisy’s tail was in view, thumping wildly on the floor. She couldn’t completely see what they were doing, but Megan had a feeling Daisy’s head lay on Emma’s lap while she stroked her fur.
    Nothing in Emma’s room was out of place. Her bed was made, her stuffed bears lined up in a row against her pillows, the floor clear of any toys, and the lid of her laundry basket down. Peter had put together a little bookcase where she kept her toys, baskets, and books. Even those were organized.
    Emma was the only neat freak in the house—a trait she must have picked up from living with those other people. Her sisters’ rooms were a mess, and it was all Megan could do to get them to keep the floor clean. It wasn’t normal for a five-year-old to be so tidy.
    “I miss Papa, Daisy. Don’t you? I bet you miss running around in the backyard the most.”
    Megan gripped the doorframe. Emma’s soft voice walloped her heart into tiny pieces.
    “I miss the fairy lights too. They were so pretty.”
    Fairy lights? This was the first time Emma had mentioned anything like that.
    “Hey, Emma?” Megan whispered into the room.
    “I miss Grandma’s muffins and her bread and the way she smelled. I think it’s ’cause she baked so much. I hope she’s happy in heaven now and gets to bake bread all day long. Maybe Papa is going to go see her soon. Then I’ll be sad, ’cause I’ll be all alone.” Emma’s head disappeared from view.
    Megan’s heart hurt. How could she think she’d be alone?
    “Emma?” Megan whispered again. She tried to make her voice louder but couldn’t. Her daughter didn’t hear her anyway. She seemed lost in her own little world.
    Megan took a step into the room. She could have been a ghost, silent and unseen. Daisy didn’t even notice her presence. On top of Emma’s bed was a notebook, one of many Megan had bought for her to draw pictures in. It lay open, and there was an image of a small yellow dog and a girl sitting outside with round red circles floating above them.
    As hard as she tried, Megan couldn’t get Emma to admit she remembered much of the day when she was taken. But deep down, that memory had to be there. She just knew it. Otherwise, shewouldn’t remember the red balloons they watched floating in the sky that day. They’d planned to take the girls to their town fair to celebrate Emma’s birthday, and instead spent the day searching for their lost daughter.
    Megan took in a deep breath. She was going to do something she’d thought of for a while now. She wasn’t sure whether she was ready for the reaction, though.
    “Hey, Emmie?” Megan kept her voice at the same low level as the previous times she’d called for her daughter. This time, Emma’s head lifted in response.
    As much as it hurt, Megan placed a smile on her face as her daughter smiled back at her.
    “It’s beautiful outside. Do you want to help me make some lemonade?”
    Megan stepped into the room as Daisy lifted her head from Emma’s lap. When Emma smoothed out her dress and wiped at the tears in her eyes, Megan knew that she couldn’t pretend Emma’s responding to her other name didn’t happen. Even though she wanted to. So she sat down on Emma’s bed, pushed the book out of the way, and held out her arms. When Emma crawled up into her lap, Megan rested her cheek against the top of her daughter’s head and struggled to find words.
    “What are fairy lights?”
    Emma’s body stiffened for a moment before she relaxed. “Grandpa put pretty lights in my room. They went from one corner to the next”—Emma pointed upward—“so I wouldn’t feel lonely.”
    Megan wrapped a strand of Emma’s hair around her fingers. She was talking about Christmas lights. “That was nice of him.”
    Emma nodded her head and sniffed.