Chapter 6 - The Voice in the Dark
Two weeks later, the Bayside estate was completely empty.
I had hired a team of professional restorers to strip away everything my mother and Julian had touched. The heavy, dark furniture was gone, replaced by bright, light-filled spaces, and the scent of expensive perfume was replaced by the clean, fresh scent of pine and lavender.
Emily was still at the clinic, but she was improving every day.
I visited her every afternoon. Today, she was sitting by the window, a sketchpad in her lap. Her skin was regaining its color, and her eyes had a soft, quiet focus that I hadn't seen in twenty years.
"Claire," she said as I walked in. Her voice was stronger now, no longer a raspy whisper.
"Hi, sweetie," I said, sitting beside her and handing her a cup of chamomile tea. "How are you feeling?"
"I had a dream last night," Emily said, looking out at the gardens. "I dreamed I was back in the old garden, planting tomatoes with Dad. It felt so real. I didn't feel afraid."
I squeezed her hand. "You don't ever have to be afraid again, Emily. They are gone. Julian has been arrested for financial fraud, and Mom is living in a small, rented apartment in the city, waiting for her trial."
Emily let out a long, slow breath. "They told me you forgot about me, Claire. They told me you were too busy with your big life in New York to care about a useless sister."
"I never forgot you, Emily," I said, my voice cracking with emotion. "I wrote to you every month. I sent gifts."
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"I never got them," Emily whispered, a single tear slipping down her cheek. "Julian took the mail. He told me the packages were from his clients. He made me feel like I was a ghost."
"You are not a ghost, Emily," I said, pulling her close. "You are the owner of this family's heart. And we are going to rebuild your life together."
