Shattered Treasure

by Cindy Patterson

  A beautiful woman wearing a navy-blue jogging suit answered the door. “Hello.” The lady searched Addison’s face, wiping her hands on her pink-striped apron. “May I help you?”

  Addison withdrew a step, widening their proximity. “Yes, ma’am. I’m so sorry to bother you. My name is Addison. I … I wanted to see how your daughter is feeling?”

  Her large, rounded eyes brightened. “You’re a friend of Ami’s?”

  Refusing to surrender to the awkwardness of the moment, she pressed on. “No, ma’am.” She inhaled. “I just wanted to check on her.”

  Addison waited in anticipation of the woman’s reaction just as the sky opened and heavy raindrops drenched the earth.

  “Come on in. Let me get you a towel.” The woman closed the door and disappeared down a long hallway.

  From the entrance, Addison studied a picture hanging above the fireplace in the living room. She couldn’t make out the faces standing so far away, but there were five people in the photograph. The long blond hair of the shortest person in the photo held her attention. She wanted to take a step closer but stopped herself.

  “Here you go.” The lady handed her a warm, thick towel. “It’s unseasonably cool today. I hope you won’t catch a cold.”

  “I’m so sorry to bother you like this. I … well, I’ve been thinking of your daughter since the accident, and I wanted to make sure she was going to be okay,” Addison managed, the shock of the situation filling her all over again. The image of the girl being hauled away on the stretcher had replayed itself time and time again since the accident.

  “It’s so nice of you to check on her. She’s still sore, but everyday she’s feeling better. How do you know Ami?”

  “I don’t.” The lady shook her head, not understanding her purpose for coming, still waiting for an explanation. “I was the other driver.”

  “Mama?” They both turned at the sound of the voice coming from upstairs.

  “Oh, well, it was considerate of you to stop by.”

  Mrs. Tant regarded her with uncertainty, validating her doubt. It had been a mistake to come here.

  “Mama, who is it?”

  “I should go.” A downward glance and Addison realized she still held the towel. She handed it to Mrs. Tant, uneasiness demanding her attention. “I’m so sorry. I hope she’ll be okay.”

  Mrs. Tant hesitated for several seconds. “Would you like to see her?”

  Sweat mixed with the raindrops clinging to her skin. “No, I don’t want to impose.”

  “You’ve come all this way to check on her. Ami will never forgive me.” She turned to walk toward the stairs, allowing no argument. With a brief glance over her shoulder, Mrs. Tant made sure Addison followed behind, her cautious smile softening.

  Addison reluctantly followed the woman upstairs and into the vibrantly colored bedroom, the scent of a candle mixed with a fruity body spray clinging to the air. “Ami, this is Addison. She came to see how you’re feeling.”

  With one single look at the young girl sitting up in bed, remorse ripped through her with a brutal wave. Bandages covered the girl’s face, her blond hair peeking from underneath the wrap on her head, covering part of her cheek.

  “Do I know you?”

  Addison crumbled inside. She didn’t want to announce to this girl that she was the one responsible for her pain.

  When Addison hesitated, Ami’s mother stepped forward. “She was the other driver in the accident and stopped by to make sure you were all right.”

  Ami pulled herself up. “Oh? Are you okay? Were you hurt?”

  A sheet of moisture swelled in Addison’s eyes, and she blinked, hoping to clear her vision. How could she have come here?

  Ami’s mother wrapped her arm around Addison. “God was truly looking out for you girls that day.”

  She could do no more than whimper at the woman’s affection. How could this mother be so receptive knowing she’d been the cause of her daughter’s pain? Addison lowered her chin in brief, silent appreciation of the woman’s empathy.

  Ami’s cheerful voice brought Addison back to the present. “How old are you?”

  Addison’s uneasiness was trumped by compassion and she cleared her throat as she moved to the edge of Ami’s bed. “I’m twenty-two. What about you?”

  “Almost eighteen.” Ami’s brown eyes sparkled. “My birthday’s in one month. My twin brothers, Logan and Nathan, are twenty-two.”

  Addison’s shoulders loosened for the first time since she’d arrived. “How cool to have twin brothers. Do y’all get along?”

  “They’re way too protective, especially Logan. They’re both in college, but Nathan’s at NC State, so he doesn’t hover as much. Are you in college?”

  Addison glanced at Mrs. Tant, who shared an earnest smile. “I’ll leave you girls for a few minutes.”

  Mrs. Tant walked away as Addison answered Ami’s question. “I’m at UNC Wilmington.”

  “So is Logan. Do you live here? Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

  “I have a sister. She died two years ago.” She wobbled with an eruption of emotions ... disbelief, guilt, and unforgiving grief.

  Ami sat up straighter. “I’m so sorry. How old was she?”

  Addison perched on the edge of Ami’s bed, careful to keep a safe distance, but needing to be closer. “She would’ve been eighteen this year. Same as you.” Talking to a stranger about Casey should’ve been impossible. But this felt normal, like everyday conversation.

  “What happened to her?” Ami asked, her face a mask of sorrow.

  Sorrow bled through Addison’s middle too, as if in that moment she was finding her sister all over again. She couldn’t tell Ami the truth. She hadn’t been able to tell anyone. And then suddenly her silence registered. “There was an accident.”

  “I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine how it would feel to lose one of my brothers.”

  Addison looked past Ami toward the door and for a moment thought about bolting, until she remembered the reason she’d come.

  “Did your sister look like you?”

  “No, not at all. She had red hair and green eyes.”

  “You’re really pretty.”

  “You’re so sweet.” Her gaze stumbled past Ami and rested on a framed photo of Ami and a young man. “That’s enough about me. What school do you go to?”

  “I’m homeschooled and will be a senior this year.”

  “Really? How do you like homeschooling?”

  “I like it. Most of the time.” A strained silence fell between the two girls, and Ami’s eyelids shuttered. “I’m in my fifth year of high school. I’m taking a few dual enrollment classes at the community college.”

  Addison stood. “I better go so you can rest.”

  “Will you come back?”

  The idea was almost laughable. Surely, she’d misunderstood. “You want me to come back?”

  “Yes. And I’m really glad you’re okay.” Ami’s smile faltered, but only a moment before she beamed again. “Will you bring a picture of your sister when you come?”

  “Sure. Feel better soon.” Addison spun to leave, but Ami’s sluggish voice stopped her.

  “Wait. Leave your number.” Ami reached for a tablet on the table.

  “I got it.” Addison’s brain worked overtime as she scribbled her number onto a pink notepad lying on the bedside table. The girl couldn’t have known what she was saying. Heart in her throat at the girl’s unconditional acceptance, she reached for Ami’s hand and squeezed it. “It was so nice to meet you, Ami. Take care,” Addison told her while conjuring the things that had brought her here. As Addison walked toward the door, Ami’s eyes finally relaxed, and she drifted off to sleep.

  “Mrs. Tant,” Addison whispered as she walked down the stairs leading to the front door.

  “Everything okay?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Thank you for allowing me to meet her. She’s so sweet.” It was time to go. She’d overstayed her welcome.

  “Thank you
, Addison. I can’t express how much I appreciate you coming to check on her. I know Ami does. Can I fix you something to drink before you leave?”

  “Thank you, but I really have to go. You’ve been so kind.” Addison wanted to reach for her, to weep in her arms, to beg for her forgiveness. Instead, she turned, swiping at an errant tear.

  “You take care of yourself.”

  “Yes, ma’am, thank you,” she managed through the swelling sob. “I’ll continue to pray for her.” Addison stepped onto the front porch, evading Mrs. Tant’s gaze.

  When Addison reached her car, she saw Mrs. Tant still standing at the front door. The lady waved and smiled when Addison met her gaze. Addison’s hands trembled as she started the engine and drove down the street. As she took several slow, deep breaths, her shoulders loosened, and her breathing settled into a steady pace as her thoughts drifted back in time.

  “This is your new daddy.” Mama lifted a cigarette to her lips and scrunched her eyes like she always did as she lit it.

  Addison glanced up at the man standing there. He was much older than Daddy. The man cocked his head, peered at her through wrinkled, half-closed lids, and lifted a weak smile.

  “Give him a hug,” Mama said, blowing out a string of smoke.

  Addison looked nervously at her mama but obeyed. It was the fastest hug she’d ever given. She didn’t need a new daddy. She already had one. Her daddy was just waiting for her in heaven.

  “That’s my good girl.” Her voice was tired but gentle. Mama hadn’t gotten enough sleep. Her puffy eyes were proof. She sucked in hard, her cigarette still hanging between her lips.

  “Don’t you worry, little girl. I will take good care of you and your mama.” He lifted a shaking hand and removed the cigarette from between Mama’s lips. “And the first thing we’re going to do is get your mama to quit smoking.”

  Mama’s eyelids lifted before she rolled her eyes. “Whatever you say.”

  He put his hand on Mama’s waist, pulled her closer, and kissed her right on the mouth, the same way Daddy used to do.

  It was the look on Mama’s face that made Addison pause. It was a look of happiness. A look she hadn’t seen since her daddy died. It didn’t matter how Addison felt. Her mama needed him.

  It was over.

  She’d done what she’d longed to do since the accident and, knowing Ami would be all right, maybe she could put this all behind her.

  Philip’s car sat in the driveway when she arrived home from the Tants. It was too late to keep going. He jogged out to meet her before she could climb from the car. “What are you still doing here?”

  “You said we could talk, so I waited.”

  “You’ve been here the whole time?”

  “Yeah, I talked to your aunt. Why? That’s okay, isn’t it?”

  Addison leaned against the driver’s door. “You shouldn’t have come.”

  Philip took her hand and led her to his truck. “Come with me. We haven’t spent a day together in so long.”

  After the emotional overhaul she’d just experienced, she had no energy left for a fight.

  “I thought we could go to dinner and catch an early movie tonight?”

  Her mind whirled. “I told you I’m not doing this anymore.”

  “Doing what?” He drummed his tan fingers against her arm.

  She snatched her arm back. “Stop it.”

  “You’re so beautiful when you’re angry.”

  Addison’s instinct was to walk away and leave him standing there. With each breath, he would only add more promises, more lies. She had to settle this. Now. “I’m not angry. I just don’t want to be with you anymore. Go out with that girl from the party.”

  “What girl?”

  “The one who couldn’t keep her hands off you.”

  He took her hand. “Oh, her?”

  She wrenched her fingers from his grip. “I was two hours late. The first thing I saw was you ... with her, and I left.”

  “Addison, I was waiting for you. She wouldn’t leave me alone.”

  She ignored his blatant lie. “You didn’t even bother checking on me.” She twisted away, her jaw clenching. “You didn’t even call.”

  “I’ve been trying to call you for days.”

  “You just expect me to pretend nothing happened.”

  “Nothing happened. I was only talking to her. You act like I’m not supposed to talk to anyone but you.”

  “You can talk to whoever you want. You can kiss whoever you want. It’s over between us.”

  “I didn’t kiss her.”

  “I saw you. You can’t lie your way out of it this time.”

  “I’m not lying. She kissed me. I guess you conveniently missed me pushing her off.”

  His anger was escalating, but she didn’t care. “The only thing you were pushing was your shirt back into your pants.”

  “Because she yanked it out. I don’t even know her. She was drunk as—”

  “Just stop. I’m not doing this.”

  “Why don’t you chill out? You’re too serious. If you would loosen up and—”

  “Don’t you dare turn this around on me.”

  “I’m not.” He eased his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. “We haven’t had a day together in so long.” He lifted her chin. “We’ve known each other for how long? You should know me better than that. I would never do anything to hurt you, Addison.”

  “What am I supposed to think when I keep catching you with other girls?”

  “Have you ever seen me out with someone else on a date?”

  “No, but Taylor has.”

  “Taylor hates me. You can’t believe what she says.”

  “I can’t believe what you say.” Addison pulled away from him. “It doesn’t matter. I can’t do this anymore.”

  He leaned across and pressed his lips against hers.

  Addison snatched from his grip. “Don’t do that.”

  “You can think whatever you want, but I’m not going anywhere.” With a look of satisfaction, he left her standing there as he climbed into his truck.

  As he pulled from the driveway, the irony of it all churned through her mind. That’s exactly what he was doing. Leaving. But only after he’d said everything he wanted. Leaving her without accomplishing her goal: bringing their relationship to a definite end. But to her it didn’t matter. It was over.

  No matter what he said, or how he promised to never hurt her, she would never trust him again.

  4

  Three days later, Logan arrived at his Mom’s house surprised to find his brother standing in Ami’s room.

  “When did you get here?”

  “A few minutes ago.” Nathan yanked at the blanket tucked around Ami. “Let’s go, young lady. Time to get some fresh air.” Not waiting for a response, Nathan lifted her into his arms and carried her from the room.

  Shaking his head, Logan lingered for only a moment before charging toward the door after them.

  “Nathan, put me down. I can walk.”

  Nathan grunted. “Can you grab the door?”

  Logan’s jealousy flared. He would never be able to carry his sister down a flight of stairs. “He’s just showing off, Ami.”

  He and Nathan were twins, but the only thing that was even remotely similar was they looked too much alike. While Logan spent more of his time studying, Nathan spent more hours at the gym. The width of his arms and the broadness of his chest were proof of that.

  “How long are you here for?”

  “Just the weekend, I have an eight-thirty class Monday morning.”

  Logan’s harsh thoughts crumbled. His smaller muscles bulged as he pulled the door shut. There wasn’t that much difference.

  Nathan sat Ami on the swing next to Mom and headed to the kitchen. “Ami’s doing so much better.”

  Logan followed him. “She’s a fighter.”

  “Are you coming by tomorrow? I haven’t had one of your cheeseburgers in months.”

  “Yeah, w
e could cook out.” Maybe it would lift his mood to do something normal … something they hadn’t done since the accident.

  After many nights of unrest, Addison had thought seeing Ami would satisfy the agony of not knowing how badly the girl had been hurt and she’d finally be able to sleep. But every day since her visit to the Tants’, her nights were dominated by restlessness.

  She slept late on Saturday, hoping to make up for lost sleep in the early morning hours. Her cell phone vibrated across her nightstand and she squeezed her eyes shut, willing the invasion to dissipate.

  Philip had called every day this week and had even shown up outside the elementary school where she did her student teaching. If it was him calling, she would let the final few rings play out and then curl deeper into her warm sheets and go back to sleep. Lifting her phone, she focused on the number. A local number appeared on the screen and Addison stared at the seven digits. It wasn’t him. But she didn’t recognize the number either.

  Curiosity nudged harder than her resistance to ignore the call, and on the fifth ring she answered, “Hello?”

  “Addison. It’s Ami … Ami Tant.”

  Ami? Addison sat up; her breath caught in her throat. “Ami, hi.” She pushed her blanket away and scooted to the edge of the bed, suddenly embarrassed for still lying there. “How are you?”

  “I’m great. I know it’s really short notice, but do you have plans today?”

  “Plans?” She glanced at her pajamas and then at the clock. 9:55. “No, I have nothing going on today.”

  “I was hoping you could come over?”

  “You want me to come over?”

  “Yes, I was hoping to show you something the last time you were here, but I fell asleep.”

  “Oh?” Addison had already moved to her closet, searching blindly for something to wear. “Is it all right with your mom?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “Okay. I’ll be there in about an hour.”

  “Great. See you then.”

  Addison took a shower, analyzing their conversation as the hot, steaming water woke her fully. She couldn’t believe Ami invited her to come back. Why would she? What could she want to show her?