Izzy closed her box and clambered into Annie’s lap. Annie held her tightly, savoring the feel of her, the smell of her hair.
Finally, Izzy drew back, and her brown eyes were huge in her pale face. Annie could tell that she was doing her best not to cry. “Today’s the day, isn’t it? You’re leavin’ us. ”
“Yes, Izzy, today’s the day. ”
Izzy swallowed hard. “But, Annie, who’s gonna braid my hair now? Who’s gonna paint my toenails and make me look pretty?”
Annie couldn’t meet Izzy’s earnest, overbright eyes. Forcing a wan smile, she took the child’s hand. “Come with me. ” She led Izzy outside. They walked through the soggy grass, and Annie eased open the new white gate to the garden. They picked their way down the stone path toward the park bench that sat in the midst of the flowers.
They stared in silence at the blooming flowers, and Annie knew that, like her, Izzy was remembering the day they’d planted them. Afterward, when the first flower had bloomed, she and Izzy and Nick had sat in the garden in a darkening night and shared their memories of Kathy. They’d laughed and cried and talked. And since then, Izzy said that every new blossom reminded her of her mommy.
Izzy scooted closer. Annie tried to shore up her courage for what was to come. With a sigh, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the antique coin. Closing her damp fingers around the slim metal disk, she stared blindly at the colorful wash of blooming flowers. “I’m going to miss you something fierce, Izzy. ”
“I know, but you gotta go be with your daughter now. ”
It was a heartbeat before Annie could find her voice. “Yes. ”
“I wish . . . I wish I was your daughter. ”
“Oh, Izzy . . . your mommy loved you very, very much. And your daddy loves you with all his heart and soul. ”
Izzy turned to her. “Natalie could come here, couldn’t she? I’d let her have my room. And when the baby comes, he could sleep with me. I’d . . . I’d share Miss Jemmie with him. Honest, I would. I’ll be a good girl, I promise. I’ll brush my teeth and make my bed and eat my vegetables. ”
“You already are a good girl, Izzy. ” She touched the child’s small, tear-streaked face. “Natalie and I have a home in California. And the baby has a daddy who misses me. ”
Izzy sighed. “I know. By Disneyland. ”
“Um-hmm. ” She squeezed Izzy’s tiny hand. “But it doesn’t mean I don’t love you, Izzy. I’ll be thinking about you, and I’ll call you lots and lots. . . . ” Her voice cracked, and for a minute the pain was so intense, Annie was afraid she was going to spoil everything by bursting into tears. “I’ll always love you, Izzy-bear. ”
“Yeah. ” It was a quiet sigh, barely audible.
She twisted around to face Izzy. “I need you to do something for me while I’m gone. ”
“What’s that?”
“You have to take care of your daddy for me. He’s big and strong, but he’s going to need you sometimes. ”
“He’s gonna be sad. ”
The words stung. “Yes. ” She handed Izzy the coin they’d found at the abandoned ranger’s station, the one Izzy had asked Annie to protect. “You’d better give this to your daddy. He’s a safe place now, Izzy. You can trust him with everything. ”
Izzy stared at the coin in Annie’s hand; then, slowly, she looked up. Tears magnified her brown eyes. “You keep it. ”
“I can’t. ”
Izzy’s tears started to fall. “You keep it, Annie. Then I know you’ll be back. ”
The next thing she knew, Annie was crying. She pulled Izzy into her lap and hugged her. It started to rain softly; droplets slid down the white pickets and hit the marshy grass, their fall as quiet as the sound of a woman’s tears or of a soul breaking softly in two.
“I love you, Izzy,” she whispered, stroking the child’s hair. Then, very softly, she said, “Good-bye. ”
Nick left Izzy with Lurlene and followed Annie out of town, keeping the squad car a safe distance behind. He felt like one of those crazy stalkers, but he couldn’t help himself. He followed her all the way to the Hood Canal Bridge.
There, he pulled over and got out, watching her red Mustang speed across the bridge, becoming smaller and smaller and smaller.
And finally, just as suddenly as she’d come into his life, she was gone.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a bank of beautiful delicate yellow flowers along the edge of the road.