He held my hand. “Do you, Kaylee Alexander, take Anthony Cabot as your loving husband?”
“That’s not my name,” I said. “My name is Kaylee Fitzgerald.” Haylee had given him a false name.
“It doesn’t matter what your name was. Now your name will be Kaylee Cabot. Well?”
I tried to pull my fingers out of his hand, but he tightened his grip so hard that it hurt.
“Our food’s getting cold,” he said. “You’re supposed to say ‘I do.’?”
He didn’t loosen his grip. I started to cry again.
He smiled. “All brides cry a little on their wedding day and their wedding night. That’s perfect. So?”
Daddy, I thought. Daddy, please come home and help me. Please.
Anthony picked up his knife. “You don’t say ‘I do,’ we won’t be married, and then you won’t need the ring or a finger for it.”
He put the blade on my finger.
“I do,” I said.
5
Haylee
They came early in the afternoon. I was still in my room, having told Daddy that I didn’t want any lunch when he had stopped by to ask.
“I know what Dr. Bloom said, but I can’t eat,” I said. “My stomach is tied in knots. Maybe later.”
He didn’t know, but before, while he was in with Mother, I had gone down and gotten a banana and some cookies. When he knocked and entered this time, I was lying in bed in the fetal position. I’m sure my body looked as tight as a fist. He stood there looking at me so long that I opened my eyes.
“What is it? Any news?” I asked, sitting up quickly.
“The detectives are here, Haylee. They want to speak with you. Come downstairs.”
“Is Mother downstairs?”
“I got her to eat some toast and jam, but she’s better off not being part of this,” he said. He sounded very tired.
“What? Why not? Won’t she be angry if she’s not included?”
“Just come down,” he said, and left.
I got off the bed slowly, actually feeling afraid for the first time since Kaylee hadn’t returned to the movie theater. Detectives, I thought, and recalled the good-looking one, Simpson. I hoped he was here, too. Just in case, I changed into a light-turquoise sweater. Everyone thought that color was very attractive on me, which of course meant Kaylee as well, but she wasn’t as fond of it as I was. I changed my jeans, too, putting on a black pair, and slipped on a pair of low-top black sneakers with pink laces. When I glanced at myself in the mirror, I wondered if I might look a bit too cheerful. I really liked how I looked but thought twice and then quickly changed into a dull gray sweater and a pair of worn blue sneakers instead. I looked back at my turquoise sweater and those low-top sneakers mournfully as I stepped out of my room.
Soon, I told myself. Soon you’ll be able to come back to life.
But not just yet.
I prepared myself for the interrogation I knew was coming and descended the stairway as if I were descending into a pit of gloom and doom. Daddy stepped out of the living room when he heard me.
“In here,” he said.
I moved quickly and entered the room. The same two detectives were here, Lieutenant Cowan and Detective Simpson. Neither smiled. They were seated on the sofa looking glum, actually angry.
“Sit,” Daddy ordered, nodding at the chair across from them. I did.
“What is it?” I asked. I clutched my hands together like someone who was expecting to hear terrible news. “Kaylee?” My eyes quickly teared up.