6
396words
Cries echoed.
Furious and in pain,Clara called Michael.
No answer...
Mom,seeing the chaos,helped Clara up and carried Timmy to her place,tending to their wounds.
Clara sobbed about helping Michael,managing his business,picking cosmetics for corpses,staying by his side at the funeral home every day.
Mom stayed silent,comforting her.
After Clara's rant,Mom spoke slowly.
"Clara,Mike's married to Emily now.This isn't right."
"You've got a kid.Mike's kind,helping you and your son,but I won't let you break them up."
"I don't love Emily much,but a wife's a wife.No mistress,period."
Clara's tear-streaked face turned purple,lips trembling,speechless.
My mother-in-law’s act of defending me surprised me.
She rarely praised me,but in a crisis,she was far better than her son.
Ring ring—Mom's old phone buzzed.
She handed Timmy back to Clara,answering.
Michael's frantic voice blasted through the speaker.
"Mom!Emily really didn't go to your place?"
Mom:"I told you,I didn’t see her!"
Michael:"Oh no!Something's happened to Emily!I'm calling the police now, gotta go!"
Mom stared at the phone,muttering,"I gotta go,gotta see what..."
Clara cursed under her breath and ran out after Michael’s mom.
I saw the police,done searching,preparing to leave.
"Captain,the reported missing time matches the crash.Could it be the same person?"
The window closed,but I heard it.
Mom and Clara did too.
Mom's legs buckled,she nearly collapsed,staring at Clara,"No...it can't be!"
Nothing's impossible—Murphy's Law had taught us that.
When Mom and Clara reached our home,police were already there.
Captain Lewis saw Mom."Ma'am,why're you here?"
Mom,dazed,pushed past him,rushing inside.
The house was as I'd seen—chaos.Michael sat dejected,holding our shattered wedding photo.
"Mike,Mike,what's this?Burglars?"
Michael looked up,stubbles had appeared on his face,his eyes were red from crying.Seeing Mom,he wailed.
"Mom,we've been robbed!Emily's gone!"
Clara chimed in,snidely and timely,"Oh,maybe she got mad and ran off with the cash?Or...another man?How else could a woman..."
"Shut up!"Michael and Mom snapped at her in unison.
"Clara,I told you,Emily's jealous and petty,but she'd never do this!Don't slander her!"
"Exactly,what's with you?Forgot what I just said?Our family's in crisis—take your kid and go,you’re just an outsider!"
Clara,with no one supporting her, flinched and went silent.
"Mom,the police said there might be bad news and we have to prepare ourselves.What could it be?Emily wouldn't..commit suicide,would she?"
Michael's tears seemed genuine.If I hadn't seen him with Clara,I'd be moved to tears now.
Too bad I'm dead.Now he cries,now he cherishes me,now he loves me.
Too late...
