Girl in the Shadows (Shadows 2)

the short stairway and out the door.

I turned to Destiny. "Should I be happy or sad?"

I asked her. She said nothing, of course.

It was too soon to know.

I turned off the lights this time and left the

motor home. Before going any farther. I stopped and

looked at my car. It had been so long since I had

driven it. Maybe I'll take Echo for a ride tomorrow. I

thought. Maybe we'll look Tyler's mother in the face

so she can't ignore our existence or at least Echo's.

Tyler might be upset about it, but maybe his mother would see how sweet Echo is and she wouldn't be so against Tyler's helping her. Once in a while, it's good to think positively and be optimistic, whether it has a

chance to come true or not.

Once in a while.

When I rounded the corner of the house. I

immediately saw the van was gone. I was relieved at

that. I wasn't looking forward to confronting Rhona so

quickly again. The house was very quiet when I

stepped in, but then I heard the rattle of a pan in the

kitchen and I headed for it.

It wasn't hard to see Mrs. Westington was

upset. "Where is everyone?" I asked.

She stopped working, took a breath, and turned

to me. "My daughter has decided to take her daughter

to a restaurant for dinner tonight. She says it's about

time they got to know each other. Can you imagine?

It's about time? Ten years? There's enough water

under that bridge to fill an ocean. But," she said after

another deep sigh, "I guess a child always has a right

and a need to know her mother, even if that mother is

as irresponsible and as selfish as Rhona."