Safe and Sound
Page 19
Her eyes were fixed on the image; the way her mother’s blue eyes sparkled with life, the way she hugged Lola to her. In the picture Lola was looking at Lana, her profile in view, mouth open as she laughed.
A tear fell from her eye, dropped to her mother’s face, blurred it.
She wanted nothing more than to see Jack, to have his arms around her. But Jack was at summer school, working on getting his G.E.D. and when he was done there, he had to work.
Lola was alone to deal with her sorrow. Maybe that was the way it had to be.
A memory tickled her mind, fought to the surface.
Lola sat still, letting it take over. It was her mother. She was holding Lola in her arms, rocking her and caressing her hair. Lola closed her eyes, inhaling a scent long forgotten and close to her heart. Cookies and cake and love. Safety, security.
Mom.
A haunting melody swept over her, the voice soft and sure. Lola recognized the song as ‘Brahms Lullaby’. A sense of awe swept over her, tingled her scalp. Lola opened her eyes and took a deep breath, feeling something like peace hum through her.
Lana used to sing to Lola when she was sad or troubled. Infinite melancholy washed over her, but it was also cleansing. Finally, she had something to hang on to; a piece of the mother from her childhood to cling to.
One day, Lola would get the answers she sought. Or not. Sometimes there were no answers, just like Jack had said. For now, though, she simply had to have faith. It would have to be enough.
She would heal. In time.
Lola smiled; she was going to be okay.
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