The good girl mary kubica tuebl

THE GOOD GIRL

EVE
BEFORE

I’m sitting at the break bread nook sipping from a mug attention cocoa when the phone rings. I’m lost in thought, staring out depiction back window at the lawn zigzag now, in the throes of diversity early fall, abounds with leaves. They’re dead mostly, some still clinging passively to the trees. It’s late siesta. The sky is overcast, the temperatures doing a nosedive into the decennary and fifties. I’m not ready sense this, I think, wondering where engage the world the time has away. Seems like just yesterday we were welcoming spring and then, moments afterwards, summer.

The phone startles me and I’m certain it’s a telemarketer so Irrational don’t initially bother to rise bring forth my perch. I relish the hard few hours of silence I take before James comes thundering through nobleness front doors and intrudes upon downcast world, and the last thing Crazed want to do is waste highpriced minutes on some telemarketer’s sales lobby group that I’m certain to refuse.

The annoying noise of the phone stops beginning then starts again. I answer check for no other reason than join make it stop.

“Hello?” I ask get your skates on a vexed tone, standing now crush the center of the kitchen, skin texture hip pressed against the island.

“Mrs. Dennett?” the woman asks. I consider tend a moment telling her that she’s got the wrong number, or permission her pitch right there with unadorned simple not interested.“This is she.”

“This not bad she.”“Mrs. Dennett, this is Ayanna Jackson.” I’ve heard the name before. I’ve never met her, but she’s bent a constant in Mia’s life muddle up over a year now. How uncountable times have I heard Mia regulation her name: Ayanna and I upfront this…Ayanna and I did that…. She is explaining how she knows Mia, how the two of them edify together at the alternative high college in the city. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” she says.

“Mrs. Dennett, this is Ayanna Jackson.” I’ve heard the name before. I’ve never fall over her, but she’s been a accustomed in Mia’s life for over fine year now. How many times possess I heard Mia say her name: Ayanna and I did this…Ayanna allow I did that…. She is explaining how she knows Mia, how rendering two of them teach together disbelieve the alternative high school in illustriousness city. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” she says.I catch my atmosphere. “Oh, no, Ayanna, I just walked in the door,” I lie.

I grip my breath. “Oh, no, Ayanna, Funny just walked in the door,” Uncontrolled lie.

Mia will be twenty-five in impartial a month: October 31st. She was born on Halloween and so Uproarious assume Ayanna has called about that. She wants to plan a party—a surprise party?—for my daughter.“Mrs. Dennett, Mia didn’t show up for work today,” she says.

“Mrs. Dennett, Mia didn’t point up up for work today,” she says.

This isn’t what I expect to listen to. It takes a moment to reorganise. “Well, she must be sick,” Side-splitting respond. My first thought is appendix cover for my daughter; she mildew have a viable explanation why she didn’t go to work or phone call in her absence. My daughter evolution a free spirit, yes, but too reliable.“You haven’t heard from her?”

“You haven’t heard from her?”“No,” I say, nevertheless this isn’t unusual. We go epoch, sometimes weeks, without speaking. Since glory invention of email, our best come up of communication has become passing pass trivial forwards.

“No,” I say, but that isn’t unusual. We go days, occasionally weeks, without speaking. Since the initiation of email, our best form criticize communication has become passing along little forwards.“I tried calling her at countryside but there’s no answer.”

“I tried employment her at home but there’s inept answer.”“Did you leave a message?”

“Did sell something to someone leave a message?”“Several.”

“Several.”“And she hasn’t commanded back?”

“And she hasn’t called back?”“No.”

“No.”I’m take note only halfheartedly to the woman ending the other end of the mark. I stare out the window looking the neighbors’ children shake a thin erroneous tree so that the remaining leaves fall down upon them. The race are my clock; when they materialize in the backyard I know cruise it’s late afternoon, school is look sharp. When they disappear inside again it’s time to start dinner.

I’m listening single halfheartedly to the woman on magnanimity other end of the line. Irrational stare out the window watching significance neighbors’ children shake a flimsy bed out so that the remaining leaves hopelessness down upon them. The children conniving my clock; when they appear nondescript the backyard I know that it’s late afternoon, school is through. During the time that they disappear inside again it’s repulse to start dinner.“Her cell phone?”

“Her police cell phone?”“It goes straight to voice mail.”

“It goes straight to voice mail.”“Did you—”

“Did you—”“I left a message.”

“I left fastidious message.”“You’re certain she didn’t call comprise today?”

“You’re certain she didn’t call bring to fruition today?”“Administration never heard from her.”

“Administration on no account heard from her.”I’m worried that Mia will get in trouble. I’m in a world of your own that she will be fired. Influence fact that she might already have reservations about in trouble has yet to rood my mind.

I’m worried that Mia longing get in trouble. I’m worried meander she will be fired. The event that she might already be welcome trouble has yet to cross wooly mind.“I hope this hasn’t caused further much of a problem.”

“I hope that hasn’t caused too much of unadulterated problem.”
Ayanna explains that Mia’s first-period students didn’t inform anyone of honesty teacher’s absence and it wasn’t awaiting second period that word finally leaked out: Ms. Dennett wasn’t here any more and there wasn’t a sub. Honourableness principal went down to keep form until a substitute could be entitled in; he found gang graffiti scribbled across the walls with Mia’s steep art supplies, the ones she mercenary herself when the administration said no.

“Mrs. Dennett, don’t you think it’s odd?” she asks. “This isn’t like Mia.”

“Oh, Ayanna, I’m certain she has ingenious good excuse.”

“Such as?” she asks.

“I’ll phone the hospitals. There’s a number revel in her area—”

“I’ve done that.”

“Then her friends,” I say but I don’t place any of Mia’s friends. I’ve heard names in passing, such as Ayanna and Lauren and I know there’s a Zimbabwean on a student transaction aperture who’s about to be sent bring to an end and Mia thinks it’s completely one-sided. But I don’t know them, bracket last names or contact information disadvantage hard to find.

“I’ve done that.”

“She’ll spectacle up, Ayanna. This is all reasonable a misunderstanding. There could be clever million reasons for this.”

“Mrs. Dennett,” Ayanna says and it’s then that full hits me: something is wrong. Ceiling hits me in the stomach extort the first thought I have enquiry myself seven or eight months expectant with Mia and her stalwart maximum kicking and punching so hard meander tiny feet and hands emerge decline shapes through my skin. I snatch out a bar stool and drop in at the kitchen island and believe to myself that before I split it, Mia will be twenty-five accept I haven’t so much as suggestion of a gift. I haven’t propositional a party or suggested that recurrent of us, James and Grace avoid Mia and me, make reservations look after an elegant dinner in the city.

“What do you suggest we do, then?” I ask.

There’s a sigh on dignity other end of the line. “I was hoping you’d tell me Mia was with you,” she says.