Page 110 of See You Again

Irene didn’t bother with a greeting, her voice tense and unhappy. “You need to fix your forwarding address. You know I don’t like to answer the door.”

Cami rubbed at the tension building between her eyes. She hadn’t even had her coffee yet. “I haven’t had my mail delivered to your house in eight years,” she said absently, as she searched for the pods that went in the small coffeemaker on James’s counter. What were the chances he had sugar, she wondered, once she popped the pod in, only half listening to her mother’s complaints? This was at least a three packets kind of morning.

“…and he wouldn’t stop ringing the bell until I finally peeked out the window. I might not have answered it, but he had such a nice smile…”

“Mm hm.” Cami found a container with single use sugars provided by the hotel, and promptly tore open four to dump into an empty mug. She deserved sugar this morning.

“…and then he said he had a package for you. I told him you didn’t live here anymore, but he said he knew that, but that you weren’t at your house either. It was eight in the morning on a Sunday! Of course, my daughter is home!”

Cami poured the dark roast into the mug and inhaled. “It’s probably just junk mail, Mama, or someone selling something.”

“Then why would he come to the door? He could have just put it in the box by the door. I have a very clear sign that says ‘do not ring bell, leave mail in the box.’”

An unpleasant thought occurred to Cami. Surely her father wouldn’t have sent the wine to the home he’d deserted because she hadn’t been at her house to sign for it. “Did you have to sign for it?”

“No, and there’s no return address.”

Cami frowned as she took a sip. That was odd.

“It’s just a manilla envelope. But he was quite insistent that I get it to you today. He was very polite, but you know I hate visitors.”

“I know, Mama. I’ll get it from you the next time I see you.” Cami kept her voice even.

“No!” Her mother’s voice was growing shrill again, sending Cami’s antennae up. “He said you had to have it today! That it was very important you get it back.”

Cami set the coffee mug down, an icy feeling settling on her stomach. “I needed to get it back?”

“Yes.” Her mother sounded annoyed but slightly calmer. “Do you want me to open it?”

“No!” Cami wasn’t sure why she had such a strong gut reaction. “I’ll come out there this morning.”

After Cami put on leggings and an oversized sweater, she realized her car was still parked in the driveway at her house. For a minute, she considered sending a text to James and asking him to go with her. But the idea of him seeing Irene in an agitated state, not to mention the condition of her mother’s home, made Cami queasy.

The rideshare dropped her off, and within minutes she was on her way to her childhood home, her brain racing through all the possibilities of what was inside the envelope. Would it be another threat?

She knocked on her mother’s door three times, and was reaching for her keys when her phone rang again, this time with James’s face looking up at her. She swiped her thumb across to silence it.

When she opened the door, her mother stood waiting in the foyer with an arm wrapped around her stomach, but her eyes were darting everywhere but at Cami.

“I’m sorry the delivery man upset you,” she said, wrapping her mother in a hug.

“He didn’t upset me. I just don’t like to be bothered. Particularly by strangers. And now my stomach is acting up.” Irene grimaced.

“I’ll make you a cup of chamomile tea,” Cami soothed, guiding her mother to the kitchen. Her phone buzzed in her hand while she waited for the water to heat.

James: Where are you?

Cami: With my mom.

Dots appeared, indicating he was typing, but then disappeared again.

She smothered a sigh when she saw that Irene was still hovering in the doorway. Taking her mother’s hand, she led her to the small kitchen table. A large, manila envelope sat in the center, Cami’s name in block letters. This wasn’t mail.

She didn’t want to upset her mother further, but she needed to know. “Was this the man? I didn’t know if it was our normal courier.” She held up her phone with a recent picture of Matt Crawford from the internet.

“No, he was older.”

Cami smiled and tried to keep her voice light. “Did you open it?”