Page 129 of When Sky Breaks
“Sky?”
“Yes.”
“Oh my god,” the woman breathes out, “I can’t believe it.”
Sky sits up straight but clutches my hands tighter. “Are you my aunt?”
The woman lets a laugh in disbelief. “Yes, yes, I’m your aunt. Aunt Loren. I’m Dannie’s sister. Oh, I can’t believe this. We all thought, Jesus, we thought you were in the fire with Chase. This is a shock, Sky. I’m sorry if I sound crazy.”
Sky stares at the phone.
I run a hand up her back and massage her neck.
“I don’t—I’m so sorry, I’m so confused.”
Loren sighs. “You wouldn’t be the only one. Oh honey, I’m so happy you called. Oh my, Tate, get over here. You won’t believe who’s on the phone.”
A man comes on the line, his voice gruff like he smokes a pack a day. “What? Who?”
“Sky.”
“Holy fuck. Excuse me, wow. This is damn crazy.”
“Sky, that’s your Uncle Tate, and your cousin Evie was the one who answered. We are so over the moon. Oh my word, I’m going to have to call?—”
“Loren,” Sky interrupts, emotions flashing all over her face, “Where is Dannie? Is this not her phone number?”
“Oh Sky, I’m sorry. I just got so excited there for a second. Yes, this is her phone number. We gave it to Evie after—wait.” She exhales heavily. “Honey, you don’t know, do you?”
Loren’s voice sobers, and so does Sky.
“I don’t know anything. My mom—Dannie—left after the fire, and I never saw her again. The police looked for her everywhere and it was like she disappeared. I got a new family,” Sky leans into me as she says this, and I wrap my arm around her shoulders, “but I need to know what happened and ask some questions.”
“Oh, sweetie.” Loren lets out a huge breath. “Your mom is no longer with us. We—she told us you and Chase died in the fire with your dad.”
“No longer with you? Do you know where I can find her?”
“She’s gone, Sky. She, um, she died by suicide a year after she came home to us.”
Sky stiffens in my arms, and a bolt of despair runs down my spine. For Sky and her mom, who felt like the world was too much. I, too, knew the feeling well. If I hadn’t taken those three steps back from the edge? Well, I don’t like to think about it too often anymore, but the look on Sky’s face when she turns to me pinches my heart. It’s the same expression my uncle had when I told him what I almost did. The horror, the sadness, but his bore relief.
Sky emits grief in tangible waves as her breathing labors.
“I’m so sorry,” I murmur and hold her shaking frame close.
“Sky? Are you still there?”
“Yes, I’m here. I’m just…shocked.” She sniffs and rubs her nose.
“I’m sorry honey, I truly am. Dannie was not well. She took the fire very hard, and we all thought, well, you know, and now I’m not so sure what to think anymore.”
Sky takes in a deep breath, her tremors calming. “Me either. There’s so much to it. I don’t even know what to say.”
“Well, would you like to meet us sometime? We’d love to see you and get to know you and we could talk about everything? I—I’m sorry, I’m getting emotional. I just never in my whole life thought I’d ever hear from you. You may not remember, but we met you once when you were a little baby.”
“Dannie never talked about you. I didn’t even know you existed until now.”
“There’s a lot to unpack in our family, but I am so happy you’re alive, sweet girl.”