Scrapbook of the Dead by Mollie Cox Bryan Read Free Book Online Page B

This wasn’t why she became a stay-at-home mom. But then again, she was always in-between a freelancer and stay-at-home mom. Very few people could relate.
    She grabbed her purse and her box of cupcakes. When she opened the door, Cookie was standing there with Dr. Stevens.
    â€œMs. Chamovitz, do you have a minute?” Dr. Stevens asked.
    â€œNo, I’m sorry. I’m off to the school.” Annie loved Cookie with all her heart and they were good friends, having bonded over being outsiders in a place where most people traced their heritage back several generations. But Annie’d gotten bad vibes from Dr. Stevens. She couldn’t quite put her finger on what she didn’t like about him.
    â€œLet me take that for you,” Cookie said and reached for the box. “Can I come with you?”
    â€œSure,” Annie said.
    â€œI will catch up with you later,” Cookie said to her doctor, who looked a bit miffed.
    â€œCookie, we are right in the middle of something—”
    â€œIt will have to wait. Annie is busy. I told you we’d have to schedule a time to meet with her,” Cookie said, following Annie to her car. “You can’t just pop in on people and expect they can drop everything.”
    Annie caught a strange look between them before she slid into her car.
    Cookie opened the passenger door and sat in the seat with the box of Halloween cupcakes on her lap. “I am just getting so sick of him,” she said as they pulled away. “I don’t know what he wants from me.”
    â€œHe’s trying to help you, remember.”
    Cookie grimaced. “Is he?”
    â€œWhat’s that supposed to mean?”
    â€œI mean we’ve been at this therapy for months now. Nothing is helping. Maybe there’s a reason I don’t remember much of the past. Maybe deep down I don’t want to,” Cookie said with a flatness Annie found hard to bear.
    Did Cookie not care about the people she may have left behind while she was missing? Did she not know how Annie herself had grieved for a year until Bryant told her that they found Cookie and she was okay?
    â€œWell, I’m sure we all have parts of our past we’d like to forget,” Annie said after a minute. “I know I do. But don’t you think you’d like to know more? I mean we were very good friends.”
    â€œAren’t we still?” Cookie said, looking a bit hurt.
    â€œYes, of course. But I’m just pointing out there may be others in your life like me. Others missing you,” Annie said as she clicked on her turn signal to pull into the school.
    Cookie hung her head a bit and quieted. She sat in the car to wait for Annie to deliver the cupcakes.
    When Annie returned, Cookie was gone. It startled her—but then she remembered. This is who Cookie is now. She just comes and goes willy-nilly. Annie looked around for her friend, but she was nowhere to be seen. She refused to carry a cell phone, so Annie couldn’t even call her.
    Annie sighed deeply. What she wouldn’t give for Cookie to be healed completely. She opened her car door, slid in, and her phone buzzed. It was Sheila.
    â€œHey, Annie. We’re starting a food train for DeeAnn. She’s thrown her back out and won’t be able to work for at least a week.”
    â€œWow, that sucks. She okay?”
    â€œNo. She’s miserable. But I wanted to let you know to check your e-mail. You can sign up for the food train online. It’s very efficient that way. I’m taking them dinner tonight and then leaving for the city tomorrow. We’ll see you on Saturday.”
    Annie pulled out of the school parking lot and headed for the park to situate herself. She wanted to look up Druid Lane on her phone. When she turned into the park parking lot, she spotted Cookie.
    She was sitting on a bench, looking out over the river, legs crossed, one open hand on each knee. Was she meditating or just trying to