taking chances
part 10


"Is there something up, Danielle? You know you can tell me anything." She gently touched my wrist over the plates scattered on the table after we were done eating. "You always have been able to."

"I'm just full." I lied.  

She tilted her head and rolled her eyes with that sarcastic look. "Oh, please. Tell me."

"You'll think I'm crazy." I hesitated.

"Come on, babe." She said and threw a smile at me, touching my wrist again. "When have I ever thought you were crazy?"

It was true; she never thought I was crazy. One time, I had just broken up with a guy, and then he got a new girlfriend. I don't know what I was thinking, but I went up to that girl and kissed her to make him jealous. He never looked at me the same way again. And until this day, he continues to insist that I am a lesbian.

"Never." I said shyly.

"So tell me."

"Fine." I sighed. "My sister went missing."

"I heard." She touched my wrist for the third time in 10 minutes.

"And, they have no idea where she is." I said, afraid to continue. Despite my fear, I continued anyway. Chloe deserved that much. "Except for me. I feel like I know. Or could know, I should say."

Chloe nodded her head, with a weird look on her face. She looked at me like I was crazy. "Are you sure you're not just like hearing or seeing things?"

"Positive." I said. I didn't want to tell her about the necklace, because then she would be convinced that I was crazy. "You know what? Let's just go." I said out of the blue.

"O-okay." She smiled. We'd already given the restaurant the money. The cost had come to 100 dollars for the two of us. It was an expensive restaurant; what can you do?

When I walked in the door, my mom and brother were playing Scrabble. I rolled my eyes and walked over to them. 

"Is this a party for you guys? My sister and your daughter have gone missing and you're sitting around like it's some kind of celebration?"

My mom stood up. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, please, Mom. You know exactly what I'm talking about. We only play Scrabble at family gatherings or parties. Look at what you're doing right now. Playing Scrabble. This morning, you were just reading the newspaper and drinking tea. Like a tea party. That is absolutely pathetic." I rolled my eyes and went upstairs to see Ava crying in her crib. I picked her up and sat on the rocking chair in her room.

"What's wrong, baby?" I asked and rubbed her back after kissing her forehead. She looked at me. She stopped crying.

"Mommy."