40
Three more letters still lay in the bottom of the box when my brain finally forced me to sleep. I dreamed of women with honey-colored hair and ice-blue eyes. I dreamed of a future I might never realize.
When I woke, my neck hurt from the awkward position on the couch. I went and took a shower, had a cup of coffee, and glanced at my watch. I called the private investigator, and he assured me that Shelly and one other person were still at Shelly’s apartment.
Maybe I should let it ride and let Lynn come back on her own. As long as someone was watching them, I could be sure she was safe. I could protect her, and let her protect herself at the same time.
I knew Lynn’s disappearances were all about her trying to protect herself from harm. But knowing it and understanding it were two different things.
I lifted the lid of the box and took out the last three letters. One of them was the one that Lynn’s Nana had just gotten. The other two were a few days older.
I picked up the oldest one.
It had been quickly scrawled and was barely legible.
Dear Diary,
I am terrified. Something has happened that I didn’t anticipate. It could change everything. I don’t know what to do.
That was it? I had no idea to what the letter referred. I rushed to open the next one.
Dear Diary,
I had a talk with my therapist today. He wants to admit me for a little while, until I sort some things out in my head. I declined, but I’m starting to think that he might be right. I might need some inpatient time in the hospital. I don’t know how to tell Mason about it.
I set that letter to the side and tore open the last one.
Dear Diary,
I was late. Now I’m really late. And now there are two pink lines.
Two pink lines? What the hell did that mean? I picked up the phone. I could call my mother and see if it was girl code for something I didn’t know about. But I didn’t. I called Malcolm. He answered on the first ring.
“Is she home yet?” he asked.
“Not yet. Hey, can you do me a favor?”
“Anything. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Ask Aubrey what two pink lines means.”
Silence.
“Mal?” I prompted.
He cleared his throat. “Dude,” was all he said.
“What? Is Aubrey there?”
“Hang on,” he said. I heard him talking to her, and then Aubrey answered.
“Mason?” she said.
“Aubrey, what does it mean when someone says there were two pink lines?”
Silence again.
“Aubrey!” I shouted.
“Who said it, and in what context?” Aubrey asked.
“Lynn, and I don’t know the context.” But I’m pretty sure it’s why she left.
“Well…” Aubrey cleared her throat. “Maybe you should talk to Lynn about this, Mason.”
“She’s not here!” I cried. “She’s fucking gone, Aubrey, and this is the first clue I’ve gotten. What does it mean?”
I heard a muffled, “Here, Mal. You talk to him. I can’t.”
“Dude,” Mal said again. He sucked in a breath.
“Tell me,” I bit out.
“If you take a pregnancy test and you’re not pregnant, you get one pink line,” he said slowly, like he was talking to someone holding a knife.
“And if you get two?”
“Two means…the opposite.”
I dropped the phone from my hand and it clattered to the floor. His voice sounded very far away as he called my name. I didn’t pick the phone back up. I left it there.
Two pink lines. She’s pregnant. Lynn is pregnant.
Inside, my heart filled with happiness. But it was short-lived, because Lynn wasn’t here. I couldn’t celebrate with her. I couldn’t celebrate at all.
I grabbed my keys and ran for the door. Fuck waiting. I was going to get my wife back, no matter what.