Chapter 14 - Lucy Stopped Sleeping in Her Boots
For the first four months, Lucy slept wearing socks and keeping her boots beside the bed.
Not because she liked them.
Because the last emergency began at night.
She also packed formula into her school backpack twice.
The twins no longer needed nighttime bottles, but her nervous system had not received the update.
Her therapist helped slowly.
No one confiscated the boots.
No one told her she was being silly.
Eventually they moved from beside the bed to the closet.
Then one day Leah realized Lucy had forgotten where they were.
That was progress.
Miles and Oliver recovered from the snow exposure without lasting injury.
Miles had been quiet because he was mildly hypothermic and exhausted.
The fact that nothing worse happened was luck.
Leah knew that.
She also knew the alternative had been leaving them inside.
She stopped torturing herself with the fantasy of a perfect choice.
The family moved into a rental townhouse near me after Leah left the Mercer house.
No gates.
No surveillance system beyond a normal doorbell camera.
Lucy initially hated that.
Then discovered ordinary neighborhoods contain useful things.
Kids with scooters.
A retired woman named Mrs. Delgado who knew everybody.
A library six blocks away.
Leah returned to compliance work part-time.
Not for Mercer Home Health.
Never again.
She also became annoying about medication documentation.
I told her that was understandable.
One afternoon, Lucy found the old red yarn inside the evidence property returned after the cases.
No key.
Just the yarn.
She stared at it.
“Can I keep this?”
Leah asked:
“Why?”
Lucy shrugged.
“It worked.”
Leah started crying.
Lucy panicked.
“Mom?”
Leah hugged her.
“You worked.”
“No.”
Lucy was very serious.
“The key.”
Leah shook her head.
“The key was just metal.”
Then she told her daughter the thing Lucy would need to hear many times.
“You listened. You kept your brothers warm. You found Aunt Claire. You told Deputy Hale the truth.”
Lucy whispered:
“But you told me what to do.”
“Yes.”
“That means you saved us.”
Leah kissed her forehead.
May you like
“We both did our parts.”
That answer finally satisfied her.
