Chapter 1 - THE JAR JESSICA REMEMBERED
Margaret Carter had Emily pinned against the sofa with one hand when Ryan walked through the front door.
“Stop fighting. Drink it.”
Emily twisted her head away.
Thick dark liquid spilled across the front of her ivory maternity dress.
“I said no!”
She shoved Margaret’s arm away and covered her nine-month belly with both hands.
Ryan’s suitcase hit the floor.
“Get away from my wife.”
He crossed the room, knocked the glass jar from his mother’s hand, and stepped between them.
The jar rolled across the stone floor without breaking.
Margaret immediately reached for it.
Too quickly.
Ryan noticed.
So did Emily.
“What the hell is that?”
Margaret picked it up and covered the faded handwritten label with her palm.
“You’re overreacting.”
“You were forcing it into her mouth.”
“She’s been hysterical all afternoon.”
Emily stared at her.
“I told you I was leaving for my sister’s until Ryan got home.”
Margaret’s expression tightened.
Exactly then, the front door opened again.
Jessica entered wearing a camel coat.
She had come because Ryan texted from the airport asking her to check on Emily.
Jessica looked at the spilled dark liquid.
Then the jar.
Her entire face changed.
“Give me that.”
Margaret stepped backward.
“Jessica.”
“Give it to me.”
Ryan looked between them.
“You know what this is?”
Jessica took the jar from their mother.
She rotated it slowly.
The writing had faded almost completely.
But Jessica did not need to read it.
Her hands had started shaking.
“Mom used this twenty-six years ago.”
Margaret went pale.
Ryan stared at his sister.
“On who?”
Jessica looked at their mother.
For several seconds she could not speak.
Then she said:
“Me.”
Ryan’s confusion deepened.
“You were twelve.”
“I know.”
Emily’s breathing became shallow.
Jessica looked at her.
“Did you swallow any?”
“Maybe a little.”
Ryan immediately reached for his phone.
Margaret grabbed his arm.
“She does not need a hospital.”
Everyone stopped.
Jessica looked at that hand.
May you like
Then at Margaret.
“You said the exact same thing about me.”
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