Chapter 19

Amanda

4

The doorbell ranged. I felt a sense of replication then. I don’t know why. I was having a yard sale today after all. The house had gotten too messy so I had had to start over all through. Doug got the door.

“AMANDA JORGENSEN!” he shouted. He sounded terribly shocked and happy and relieved all at the same time. It was a three in one. I abandoned the lunch I was making for Joe and Annie and the rest of the gang and when I saw who was in the doorway I could not believe my eyes.

“Ch—“
“Mom!” said Cheryl and she wrapped her arms around me.

“Oh my little baby,” I said hugging her so tightly not wanting to let her go. “You’re alive.”

“Alive and thankfully and narrowly well,” said Cheryl.

“Narrowly?” said Doug looking at Cheryl a little puzzled.

“Let’s talk ‘bout them tragic things later,” said a voice from behind the doorway. I knew immediately who it was even though I’d never met her in my entire life. Helena and Cheryl clung to the woman like she was a lifeline or something. She was for them you could say.

“Carmen Amos,” I said.

“Amanda Jorgensen,” Carmen replied. It was an introduction and a thank you put together. Behind Carmen was a face I did not have a clue of identifying.

“This is Marla Shows,” said Carmen. “She kidnapped your kids but then I guess she changed her mind ‘cause of her wacko now divorced husband and his madness and it turns out she saved your two kid’s lives.”

“Todd saved my life,” said Cheryl and then the tears came and I felt rather hurt that Cheryl went to Carmen and not me or Doug. But then Carmen was more a mother to Cheryl then I was. Helena was still loyal to us but she was a half an half.

“We’re going to have a reunion,” I said. “A family reunion.”

“I guess I’ve found my silver lining,” said Helena.

“I’ve found my cloud in the sky.”

“You’ve found your cloud,” I agreed. And I knew then we were definitely going to have our happily ever after.