The Thirteen by Susie Moloney Read Free Book Online Page A

her mother’s hair and face shape. Her eyes were her loveliest feature, large and round, with thick, long lashes, like a boy’s. She liked the look of her. “And who have we here?”
    “This is my daughter, Rowan.”
    does she look familiar?
    “Aren’t you pretty, just like your mom was.”
    “Thank you,” Rowan answered primly. There was a moment of silence as Paula internally winced at the was. Izzy had always been sharp-edged.
    To Paula, Izzy said, “Your mother will be so glad to see you.”
    “What happened? What’s wrong with her? I was so flustered I didn’t even ask when you called.” Paula felt foolish for not knowing. Izzy’s face turned sombre.
    “Well, she collapsed the night Mrs. Henderson died. Very sad.”
    “What does the doctor say?”
    “Why don’t I find him and you can ask him yourself.” Like a maître d’ she gestured broadly in the direction from which she had just come. “Would you like to see her?”
    She led them to the door, where she paused. “Maybe Rowan would like to sit out here with me for a minute or two, just to give you some time alone with your mom.” She smiled and again made a large gesture, towards the visitor’s lounge at the end of the hall. It seemed a long way away.
    Paula looked to Rowan. “Is that okay?”
    “I guess,” Rowan said, but didn’t move. Izzy put her arm around the girl’s shoulders and turned her gently.
    “There we go, then,” she said, her voice unnaturally vital in the quiet corridor. She and Rowan walked down the hall.
    Paula smiled reassuringly at her daughter’s back, then went in to see her mother, the door snicking softly open and then gently shut.
    Hospitals were scary. Rowan had been in a hospital only once in her life (not counting when she was born, since she didn’t remember that). When she was seven, she had fallen down the last five steps at the apartment they were living in. She had been jumping and missed the stair, fell on her butt and hurt her foot. Her mother acted as if she’d cut her head off. She took her to the hospital and they X-rayed her and she got a lollipop for being brave. It was stupid to think of that now. A lollipop? Seriously lame.
    This hospital was way more quiet than that one had been. And even scarier because it was so quiet. Where was everybody? Her grandma’s friend sat down on the sofa beside her and stared.
    Rowan tried to smile at her, all the while thinking, It’s not polite to stare . This woman was sort of scary too.
    “What are you dear, twelve?”
    “Uh-huh.” Rowan leaned forward to stare down the hall as best she could, at the door that her mother had disappeared behind.
    The woman frowned. “You shouldn’t say ‘uh-huh.’ It’s disrespectful. You should say, ‘Yes, Mrs. Riley.’ ”
    Rowan blushed. “Um, sorry.”
    The woman kept staring at Rowan, which made her cheeks bloom hot. She wished her mom would come out. “Um, Mrs. Riley? Were you going to get the doctor for my mom?”
    The woman ignored the question. “Mmm,” she said instead. “You’re a pretty thing. Have you started your period yet?’
    Rowan wished she could totally disappear. She stared hard down the hall, willing her mother to come out. She swallowed. She did not answer
    (no)
    and hoped that Mrs. Riley would go away.
    She did not.
    They sat in silence. Worse, Mrs. Riley put her hand on top of Rowan’s head and absently stroked her hair.
    And Rowan wished hard
    (mom mom mom mom mom)
    for her mom to come out and get her.
    –
    Paula had a single moment of trepidation, but then there she was—her mother, in a hospital gown, in a hospital bed. The two of them locked eyes, alone for the first time in four, maybe five years.
    Her mother smiled broadly, sadly. She reached her arms out to Paula.
    “Oh, you’re really here—,” she rasped. The shocking voice caught Paula by surprise.
    “You sound terrible!” Paula moved to the bed. She took her mom’s hands. “Do you know what’s wrong?” It was