Layla, my sister.
The world turned upside down. I clung to the door frame.
« Megan? What are you doing here? »
« Is that… is that Bill? Is that my son? »
Bill was confused. « What’s going on? You said my mother… »
Layla turned pale and took a step back. « Come inside, » she said.
Mike squeezed my arm as we walked into the living room. Jamie stood back, his eyes wide.
« What are you doing here? »
« You left, » I said. « You never told me you took my son. »
I handed Bill’s dinosaur shirt. « He wore it every night. He called it his lucky shirt. »
Jamie looked at the shirt, then at me. « Why do I remember this? I used to dream about dinosaurs. »
Jamie looked at Layla. « You said my mother was dead. You said you found me in the hospital. »
Layla shook her head, crying harder. « I went to pick you up from school, Jamie. I told them I was your aunt—your emergency contact. I had all the information to help Megan… no one asked any questions. And after that, I stayed close. I helped with the search. I stood by her side while she begged you to come back. »
« Why do I remember that? »
« I lied, » said Layla. « And then I kept lying. »
Layla lowered her eyes. « I knew this day would come. »
I turned to Jamie in despair.
« You loved chocolate chip crepes. You have a birthmark behind your left ear that looks like a bird. You hated thunder. »
“I dreamt about all these things. I thought they weren’t real.”
He looked at me again, uncertain. « I don’t even know what’s real. »
« I knew this day would come. »
He looked at me again, more harshly this time, as if he were trying to see beyond the face in front of him and discover something buried deeper.
« Sometimes I hear a voice in my sleep, » he said, trembling. « A woman who calls me Billy when I’m scared. I always wake up feeling like I’ve lost something. »
Nobody had called him Billy except me.
« I thought I was protecting him! » Layla said. « You were falling apart, Megan. Your marriage was cracking, the house was a mess—I thought he’d have a better life with me. I’m sorry. »
« I’m sorry. »
« You took my son and built a life on my loss. You let me bury him while he was still alive. You didn’t save him—you stole fifteen years and called it love. »
Jamie shook his head. « You made me believe I was alone in the world. Why didn’t you tell me? »
Layla said nothing.
« You have to answer for what you did, » said Mike.
« I will do it. I will tell the truth. To everyone. »
« You made me believe I was alone in the world. »
We didn’t leave right away.
I looked Layla in the eyes. « You’re coming home with us. You owe our family the truth. »
Layla tried to protest, but Bill spoke up.
« I need answers. And you owe that much to my… mom. »
Layla nodded, defeated. « I’ll come. »
« I need answers. »
***
The plane ride home was a blur. Layla sat by the window, silent and pale, her hands twisting in her lap. Bill stared straight ahead, his jaw clenched. Mike and I exchanged silent glances, grief and anger vying for every word we didn’t say.
At home, I called our parents. They arrived within the hour. I had never seen my mother’s hands tremble like that.
Layla stood in the living room, surrounded by the people she had lied to for years.
« I’m sorry, » she murmured, her voice hoarse. « I thought I was saving him. I see now… I was saving myself. »
My father’s voice was harsh. « You took our grandson and left your sister to mourn him all these years. »
« I was saving myself. »
“I know,” said Layla, her shoulders slumped.
That’s when there was a knock at the door.
***
