Chapter 3

"Molly, come with me."

No hint of concern.

Mom's face was dark as she walked into her bedroom and yanked open the nightstand drawer.

"The pearl earrings I had in here—did you touch them?"

My mind went blank with a low hum.

Pearl earrings.

In a flash it came back to me: they were the Christmas gift I'd bought her two years ago, with my very first real paycheck.

"Mom—you think I took them?"

"Ethan said you were in here this morning mopping..."

The words caught in my throat.

"Have you forgotten? I'm the one who bought them for you!"

Mom looked a little uncomfortable, but the suspicion in her eyes didn't fade in the slightest.

"That's right, Molly, you gave them to me. So why would you take them back?"

She paused before the word take.

What Mom really wanted to say was steal.

I couldn't speak. Suddenly nothing in front of me felt real.

It was absurd.

Everyone in the living room had drifted in, drawn by the noise.

Once Dad figured out what was going on, he finally muttered hoarsely: "Never mind. Let's just say I lost them."

Ethan sighed, patted my shoulder, and spoke with a hint of disappointment.

"Molly, you're still my sister. If you really needed money, why didn't you just come to me?"

They all sounded like they were defending me. But every one of them assumed I'd taken them.

"Is that what you all think of me?"

I couldn't hold it back. My voice trembled, and my fingertips went white where I dug them into my palm.

Why?

Why, every time I thought this had to be the last blow, did they land another one?

Just two nights ago, I'd been thinking about each of them.

Thinking that in three weeks I'd be gone, and I should leave something behind for each of them.

Mom's back was bad—I'd ordered her a heated massage pad online.

Dad's fishing rod was over ten years old—I'd bought him a full St. Croix set.

I'd even written Ethan a check. I knew he was saving up to trade in his car, and I thought it might help.

And this was what I got in return?

Mom folded her arms across her chest, her expression darkening.

"Don't think I couldn't tell. At the sales office today, watching Cassie pick out her apartment—you were eaten up with jealousy!"

I froze.

She knew. She had known all along.

I glanced around, closed my eyes, and every ounce of strength drained out of me.

"Fine. Then call the police—"

"Mom! These earrings are so pretty—they're exactly my size!"

Cassie's coy voice floated in.

The missing pearl earrings were now in her ears.

Oblivious, she stood in front of the vanity mirror, admiring them.

"I love these. Mom, can I borrow them for a few days?"

"Sweetheart, you took them without saying anything?"

"Pearls are too grown-up for you anyway. If you like them, keep them. I'll get you a pair more your age in a few days."

Ethan waved a hand. "All right, all right. Big misunderstanding. Earrings are found. Everybody's happy."

The TV in the living room clicked on.

They settled in, same as always, watching Cassie's favorite Netflix reality show.

As if everything that had just happened had been a hallucination of mine.

No one apologized to me.

I stood there like a ghost, forgotten in place.